


Confide in Fear (1)

by womanwhowritesformany



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Action, Alexandria - Freeform, Apocalypse, F/M, Fanfiction, Fear, Fic, Hilltop, Hope, Love, Prison, Romance, Soft Daryl Dixon, Tough Daryl Dixon, Walkers, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, daryl dixon fanfci, daryl x ofc - Freeform, frenemies to lovers, season 4, season 5, the walking dead - Freeform, twd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:28:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 44,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25691320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/womanwhowritesformany/pseuds/womanwhowritesformany
Summary: BOOK 1 OF 3 ••••IN PROCESS OF EDITING••••As Alexandra is filled with fear, she finds and joins a headstrong, passionate group,  as they fight and thrive to survive to stay together, through thick, thin and all things threatening.Read Confide in Fear to discover original female character Alex's story on trying to find out who she is in this new world, as well as falling for someone who doesn't seem to be the type someone falls for.Seasons 4-5.A DARYL DIXON FANFICTIONEditing since - April 19, 2020 on WATTPAD (my account; A-TWDSPN-Love)This book was creates in 2014. Editing and re writing over time, excuse mistakes.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/OFC, Daryl Dixon/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

ℂ𝕆ℕ𝔽𝕀𝔻𝔼 𝕀ℕ 𝔽𝔼𝔸ℝ

ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʟᴇxᴀɴᴅʀᴀ ғɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ғᴇᴀʀ, sʜᴇ ғɪɴᴅs ᴀɴᴅ ᴊᴏɪɴs ᴀ ʜᴇᴀᴅsᴛʀᴏɴɢ, ᴘᴀssɪᴏɴᴀᴛᴇ ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ, ᴀs ᴛʜᴇʏ ғɪɢʜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜʀɪᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀʏ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜɪᴄᴋ, ᴛʜɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ.

ℂ𝕒𝕤𝕥

SOPHIA BUSH AS   
𝔸𝕃𝔼𝕏

NORMAN REEDUS AS   
𝔻𝔸ℝ𝕐𝕃

DISCLAIMERS  
When I wrote this story, I was about 14/15 years old, so in advance, sorry for some crappy ass writing!

*I do NOT own any The Walking Dead characters, I do not own any plot lines/scenes. Everything belongs to the comic book creator Robert Kirkman and the writers and directors of the show on AMC. I only own the characters I create.*

PLEASE re read the story as I continue to update. Or, you can wait till I stop updating for the editing process to end. I'm re writing things and fixing things I see throughout every chapter. I wrote this story when I was 13/14, so please excuse mistakes.

I know there will probably still be mistakes throughout chapters, but I do plan on doing another round of editing in the future as I re read and reconstruct this story!

But please, feel free to, respectfully, leave comments if you see any grammar mistakes or anything else.

So, as I edit, please enjoy ~some new~ content and edited chapters.


	2. Chapter 1- Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex travels through the woods of Georgia, getting herself into some trouble with the dead, as she is found by a man and woman who happen to have a place - but there's a catch...questions more like it.

Last Edit: April 21st, 2020

Running was all I could do at this point. I had no food, and no water. All I had was a bookbag, and my knife that was both bound to break sooner than later.

All alone, but surrounded by all of them... a few of these walking eating people, trying to get to me. I was exhausted, but I couldn't stop now. It was cold, but I was hot. One of the worst things, being sweaty and feeling cold at the exact same time. All I could hear were the dead and my breath. I felt like I couldn't run any faster, but I tried my best to push myself and survive.

As soon as I got out of the woods, I was met with a small hill that went upwards. Walking up, I reached a black road. I throw my bag on the floor and look behind me, feeling okay about the hill and the dead that were probably a few feet away. They'd never make it up here. For now.

I decided to take a seat on the side of the road, and rest for a little bit. My mouth was dry and I had finished my water just hours ago. I had just wished I was safe and with my family again, but everything and everyone are gone. For good.

After resting for what felt like fifteen minutes, which was probably more, I stood up And began walking in silence on the side of the road. It felt like forever and it felt like I was going to pass out anytime soon.

Suddenly, the silence was interrupted as I heard a couple of growls coming from behind me. I freeze in my tracks until I begin to panic once I feel a hand grab my shoulder. Spinning around quite fast, I fall down with the dead on top of me. I felt a snap and crunch in my body at my ankle.

The groaning dead had moved like crazy, trying to take a bite of me, as it laid on top of my body. I tried pushing it off but I wasn't strong enough to get it off me. Pushing back the chest of the dead with my right hand, I reach for my knife with my left and less strong hand and pull it up towards it. After struggling for quite sometime, I had successfully jammed it into the neck, blood splattering all on my face.

"Holy shit." I breath, looking around me. I stand up, limping away from the other dead humans trailing behind me. I needed to get away, but the slower I got, the more I felt like my death was coming.

But before I knew it, I heard a car coming from behind me. In the distance, I saw a green car driving fast, until I had stood up and watched it. It distracted me from the other dead that had been coming my way.

Yet again, I struggled with the dead coming on to me. Falling to the ground, I rolled over and they fell on top. Suddenly, a black arrow shot the thing in the head- the arrow almost going through my head too.

I laid there for a couple of seconds, and tried to catch my breath from almost dying... again.

A hand took underneath my shoulder an abruptly pulled me up and a pair of eyes stared into mine. He raised his cross brow in my face, as the woman with a sword had pointed it towards me.

"Who are you? You alone?" The guy said in a deep voice.

"I'm alone! I'm alone." I responded. The guy came up to me and put his cross bow down and picking up my bag and patted me down. "Please don't.. don't hurt me."

"You're alone?" He asked.

"That's what I just told you! I haven't seen anyone else in so long."

He turns his head to his friend and they glare at each other. I watch the woman's face as she raises her eyebrows to him and then shrugs.

"How many walkers have you killed?" He asked.

"What?" I asked with confusion.

"Those things." A girl with a sword behind the man said, while pointing at the dead dead person on the floor.

"How many?" The guys voice asked louder and a bit more meaner.

"Uh I don't know. A lot. Enough for me to survive."

"How many humans?"

"Three." I said, putting my head down.

"Why?" She asked.

"To put them out of misery." I looked back at the guy standing in front of me, he was dirty, his hair almost covering his eyes. "Haven't seen people since I saw my family. I mean, of course I've seen others but, from a distance. People don't want to help someone who's alone. Pretty ironic since I'm alone and you're both questioning me." I explained. "Look, I promise I'm not a threat- I'm just tired. I haven't had water in hours."

"Daryl?" The woman said.

"Alright." He started walking and stopped when he noticed I didn't move. "But you're sitting in the back with her."

"Alright." She says, grabbing onto one of my arms.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask, hoping for an answer.

"Can't tell you that, but it's where live. All of us."

"All of us?"

"Yeah, there's more people back at where we are. Name's Michonne. That's Daryl."

"My name is Alexandra... Alex." I smiled at her.

We enter the backseat, and immediately the man turns around throwing a bandanna at me. I stare at him and he just ignores me.

"I'm going to have to put this on you. For our safety. We don't want anyone know how to get there, where exactly it is." Michonne explains.

It was silent as he kept driving. Dark too, since I had the blindfold on my eyes.

Eventually, the car came to a stop, and I heard gates being opened. The car began driving again and everything happened the same way for at least two more times. Then, the car had stopped and shut off, and I was helped out of the car by Michonne. She carefully removed it and still kept her hand on my arm.

I blinked a couple of times, but notice it had gotten dark outside. Daryl and Michonne had led me inside, keeping me close and in between them, as we walked through a courtyard and through some heavy metal doors. It was a prison. That's where they had lived, that's what this all was.

"Rick, c'mon out!" Daryl said. After he said that, a man came out walking, with a peppered beard and a younger boy next to him, wearing a hat.

"Who's this?" The young boy asked.

"Carl, go to Beth and Judith. Daryl, Michonne and I need to talk." The guy, who I guessed is Rick, said.

"Ok, Dad." The young boy, Carl, said while walking away.

"You asked her the questions?" He asked Michonne and Daryl.

"Yeah. She seems lost. She was alone and Daryl saved her life." Michonne said to Rick. I saw an old man with crutches walk in the cellblock along with an older woman.

"What's your name?" Rick, the guy asked me.

"Alex - Alexandra."

"Well, Alexandra. Just know that if we allow you stay here, you'll have to be up to work. Prove yourself to us. After you're all fixed up." He explained, and I nodded up at him. "We'll be keeping an eye on you though. Earn your trust. Hershel here will help you with that. Then I'll have someone take her to a cell and get settled." He said.

"Thank you." I said to all three of them. Rick nodded and Michonne led me to see the old guy named Hershel, who was standing a couple of feet away from me.

I was no longer alone.

-  
Hello! Thank you for starting to read this story! I'm so happy to write this! As you could already tell, i love TWD and I'm apart of so many fandoms.  
What are your fandoms?

Update: APRIL 21st 2020, I'm editing this story! If you see updates and you've already read this, feel free to reread from the beginning and see some changes! If not, all plots stay the same so you're not missing out!   
Xoxo


	3. Chapter 2- Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex wakes up in a place she would've never thought she would, greeted by some toughly caring people.

I panicked as I woke up not remembering where I was. I calmed down and rubbed my eyes once I remembered that I was found by people and brought to their camp, which was a prison.

I saw in the corner of the cell that I was sleeping in, there were black jeans, a shirt and a pair of socks, along with a bottle of water. All of it, resting on a steel chair. I got up, and my ankle still throbbing with pain. I made my way over to the water and drank at least half of it within seconds. My eyes darted to the clothes and I changed into them carefully.

Once I was finished, I made my way out of the cell and was met with Daryl, who sat right outside.

"You were there this whole time?"

"Someone's gotta keep watch." He mumbles.

"Of me?"

"We don't know you, you could be apart of the gov- nah.. we don't know you. Don't know if we can trust you."

I squinted my eyes at him, but shrugged him off as I began walking away. A young girl was sitting on steel steps, feeding a baby. She glanced up at me and smiled, and I returned the gesture.

"If you're looking for Rick, he's outside." The young girl said.

"Oh, thank you...?" I said, not knowing her name.

"Beth."

"Thank you Beth. I'm Alex." I said.

"Nice to meet you." She said smiling, "This is Judith."

"She's cute." I smile. "Hi."

I walked slowly out of the cell block and tried to find my way out of the place to head outside.

The sun was awfully bright for this time of year, making it hard for me .

Instantly, I felt sweaty in the long sleeved shirt and dark black jeans and boots.

Rick was standing by some people, around a car, and he motioned for me to come over. I began walking, watching him talk to the people who had opened the car doors and got in. When he was done talking and I had approached him, his hand pats the car and it drives away.

"Need any help with anything?" I asked generously, hoping it would make an impression.

"If you could walk."

"I could handle anything. I'll be fine." I explained while balancing on my other foot. I wanted to prove myself to him, to all of them. I was someone to trust.

"Help me get this over to the fence down there." He said, while pointing at wood, which looked like a tree's body. I helped him carry the thing towards the very first fence of the prison. I had to stop a couple of times because of my ankle.

"Take it easy." His deep voice spoke. "Don't hurt your self too much." I squinted over to him and smiled, while being out breath. I was just happy I didn't have asthma.

Rick and I reached the front of the prison and he told me he could handle the rest.

"Do I get to stay here?" I asked quickly, hoping he'd say yes, because I really didn't want to go back out on the road on foot. Alone. "Not to rush you into making a decision, I just- I can't be alone out there anymore."

"I know what it feels like, but It depends." He said straight forward.

"On?" I asked.

"Depends on your loyalty to this group. Depends on if we can trust you." He said, as I nodded at him. "Once your ankle gets better and heals, you'll be able to help out more. Potentially go out on runs."

"Thank you." I spoke, while turning to walk away.

"Don't thank me too soon." He said sternly. "Just know that we take trust very serious around here."

-

"Your ankle may heal in a couple of days, if you're lucky." Hershel spoke, while checking out my ankle, in a secluded room within the prison. It was dark, no windows, but he did have some light with candles and lanterns.

"Thank you." I said, appreciating his generosity.

"I think Rick will come around. So much has happened, so it will take some time for him and the others to trust you. But I'm sure he'll come around." He said, finishing wrapping up my ankle.

"Why are you so sure?" I asked him, as we stood up together.

"Because I know Rick. And Rick was a different person before you came here."

"Oh." I look down at my foot.

"If you keep off your foot for the rest of the day and tomorrow you'll be better before you know it." He said.

"Thanks, again." I said, while Hershel nodded and I walked away, and back to the cell block to my cell. When I entered the cell block, I saw a bunch of people in a group talking. I went directly to my cell, but some person stopped me.

"You're Alex."

"Uh, yes I am." I respond to the short brunette haired woman giving me a sincere smiling.

"I'm Maggie. Hershel's daughter. Rick told me to introduce you to some people around here." The young woman spoke, as her short hair fell in front of her face.

"Okay."

"This is my husband, Glenn. Beth, you know and baby Judith, she's Rick's. That's Carol, Sasha and Tyrese. And you already know Michonne." She spoke, pointing at the people in front of us, sitting and standing around the cell block. I don't even remember how to react around humans anymore because I haven't seen one since my family. But they're all dead. Gone. I'll never seen anyone again, which made me feel upset in the moment. But maybe, these people will be around me for the long run.

"And your name is Alexandra, right?" Glenn asked.

"Yeah." I smiled nervously, "Alex."

"Alex, hi." A man approached me. "I'm Glenn. Michonne and Daryl helped you out, didn't they?"

"Yeah they did. I would've died if it weren't for them." I shook my head. The rest of the conversation consisted of things about a council, the runs that the group goes on and questions some of them asked me.

After all that, pretty much all of them disappeared but Glenn, Maggie and Carl. I left the three standing around near the metal steps, as I went to lay down and rest in one of the cells.

"Are we sure we can trust her?" I heard Carl speak. I raised my eyebrows and turned on my other side so I could get comfortable, facing the dirty wall.

"We don't know yet. But your father will handle all of it. If your father can trust her, we all should too." Maggie spoke.

"Yeah, she seems harmless. She needs to stay. We let everyone from Woodbury stay- the ones who's didn't put up a fight." Glenn responded to Maggie.

I closed my eyes and attempted to sleep, but my mind was too busy on Woodbury? And figuring out who these people were, here in the prison.

-

I woke up and carefully got up out of the bed. I pushed the sheet hanging from the entrance of my cell out of my way, noticing that it was grey outside. I needed some water, so I decided to go find Maggie or Glenn, or even Rick to help me find some if they had any.

I turned the corner to the table where everyone would eat. I bumped into someone, causing me to fall on the ground. "Watch out." The voice mumbled. It was Daryl. His hand gripped my wrist and pulled me up. You good?

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I said.

"Welcome." He said, while walking away.

"Thank you." I said, forgetting to say thank you before when he helped me. He wasn't the nicest person, but there was something about him that seemed to be good, maybe a heart.


	4. Chapter 3- Flinch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the days pass, Rick gets Alex to start going out on supervised runs with Daryl and a group..but this is the beginning of things not going to well for her, and well..for him either.

A week or so has passed. People had started to let me help around the prison more, especially since my sprained ankle had felt better. Still without word on if I was allowed to officially stay or not, I was slightly worried they would kick me out any day now. But I had some hope, despite being scared to be alone again.

A hand tapped my shoulder, and I turned around to see Beth standing there with Judith.

"Rick wants to see you." She smiled.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Outside, by the cars."

"Thank you, Beth."

"You're welcome!" She responded cheerfully as I walked past her.

Walking out of the cell block and pulling the steel door open, I had seen Rick, Glenn, Daryl and Tyrese loading up stuff in the back of a black charger.

"Beth told me you were looking for me?" I asked, squinting my eyes at Rick, and blocked the son out of my face with my hand.

"Yeah. You're going on your first run with these guys. We need to see if you can handle this." He said.

"Oh." I simply said. "Okay then."

He put some weapons into the car and out of a basket. "Here's your gun and knife back. Just for today's run. They got extra bullets in the car. And, your bag."

Rick hands me over the bag first, and then takes some other supplies from the basket and throws it in my bag.

"Thank you." I said, adjusting my bag onto my shoulder. He hands me my weapons, and I place my knife by my waist along with my gun.

"You'll be sitting in the back with Glenn and Bob." Daryl spoke.

"Okay." I said, getting into the car, sitting in the middle between Glenn and Bob.

"Let's roll." Daryl spoke, as he drove and the gates opened. 

The drive was silent. The breeze coming from the windows cooled us down from the hot bright sun. It made me miss the air conditioning in cars. It was the small things that reminded me how good the world used to be.

Daryl was speaking about the plan for this run we were going on. Get in, get the stuff and get out. He seemed to be smart and trustworthy, but I was beginning to think he didn't care much for me since well, we had just met and because he doesn't know. By the plan, he hadn't given me anything to do, so I was just getting myself mentally prepared to follow the guys.

Maybe an hour or so later, we arrived at the medical place. I got out of the car and started walking behind Glenn, following them to the front.

"You stay here." Daryl said to me. "Stay in the car. The front seat, just in case."

"Why? Rick told me that I was going with you guys." I questioned and explained myself to him.

"We don't need you. We'll be fine on our own." Daryl replied rudely.

"Daryl... I think she needs to learn-" Glenn spoke, taking a step forward. "Besides, if we don't know her that well, why would we leave her with the car?"

Daryl hesitated, but rolls his eyes. "Nah, she's staying. Besides, she don't wanna be alone. Doubt she'd run off now. C'mon." Daryl spoke while walking away and into the building, along with Tyerese and Bob.

"I'm sorry." Glenn spoke.

"It's okay, I get it." I shrug.

"We won't be too long."

"Yeah, gotcha." I responded, and Glenn had caught up with the guys and disappeared into the building. I sighed, and sat in the front seat. I kept my knife on my lap in front of me, and my gun beside me. I kept my foot right beside the pedal, just in case there was an issue with the guys and I had to get ready to drive fast.

Later, the guys came storming out of the building and jumped right into the car. Daryl didn't even bother to tell me to move out the front seat. He yelled drive about numerous times along with walkers.

"Did you get the med-?!"

"Just keep driving." Daryl said. I transitioned to the far left of the road, and stopped driving abruptly.

"Why'd you stop?" Daryl asked. "Keep drivin'."

"Okay, first, I don't know how to get back and second, don't tell me what to do. Third, you drive." I said, getting out the car and heading around to his side.

He didn't move after I spoke to him. I pulled his side of the car door open and he didn't move.

"You gonna drive or what?" I asked Daryl toughly.

"Don't give me no attitude, girl."

"And if I do?" I asked. He got out of the car, standing close to my body, causing me to flinch. I saw the guys get out of the car and Tyreese held Daryl back a bit, while Glenn came over to me to calm me down.

"Get off me." Tyreese still held on to Daryl after he said to get off him. "What? Y'all think I'd hit a girl?"

I looked up at Daryl and shook my head as I stared him down. "With the way you just acted towards me? Yeah, I think so." I said, and quickly walking to the car and siting in the back seat, slamming the door.

Everyone got back into the car and Bob was driving us all back to the prison.

"Tough woman." I heard Bob say. I ignored Daryl's presence as he sat in the passenger seat, across from me. This gave me a great view of him, which I did not want.

"Daryl, what's up?" Glenn asked, but It stayed silent. 

We made it back to the prison when it was dark out, but still light out where we can still see. "Everything go good?" Rick asked me, welcoming us at the front gates through Bob's window.

"Ask Daryl." I looked at Rick once I stepped out of the car, leaving the door open for Glenn, and started to walk back to the cell block.

"Stay for a minute." Rick said. "Glenn, get Daryl for me." Glenn walked back to the car and I saw him tap Daryl and they stood there talking for a couple of minutes. Daryl dropped whatever he was holding and came by walking.

"What's going on?" He asked Daryl. I stared at Daryl and his features. He looked strong. Tough.

"Nothin'. We got nothing over there though- completely empty."

"I meant with you and Alex. If you don't want to talk about it here, now that's fine. But we are talking about this. Later." Rick said. Daryl nodded slightly and gave me a dirty look while walking past.

"What is your problem?" I said, while walking beside him and touching his arm so he could turn around.

"My problem is you. You think just because I saved your ass and brought you back to this place you can stay, and that everyone could trust you so quickly?" He said loudly, approaching me.

I could hear Rick's boots come up to Daryl and pushed him back so he wouldn't do anything he would have regretted.

Glenn came up to me and took my shoulder and we began walking. I turned my head to see Rick calming down Daryl, and then Daryl shrugging him off and walking in my opposite direction.

"Sorry about Daryl. He's never always trusted anyone without a lot of time passing. It takes time." Glenn said.

"And if it doesn't?" I asked.

"Well, then we'd have to deal with it." 

Later that night, the council wanted me to have dinner with them. Rick has said that they needed to talk to me. Normally, I would grab some food and go eat alone in my cell and then sleep. But I guess they wanted to know me? Was this the beginning of not being alone anymore?


	5. Chapter 4- Welcomes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex is finally and officially welcomed into the group at the prison, but a certain someone is not too keen on the idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um hi hello, so i noticed AO3 automatically numbers the chapters, just know the chapter TITLE i write will have the chapter number there, since the first "Chapter" is titled just as notes or whatever. Chapter 1 is 'chapter 2' on the list. but im sure it's not so confusing as you read.

I walked inside of the cellblock and saw everyone standing around, and a few of them sitting on the steel steps. My eyes caught Daryl, who stood behind Rick, his shoulders slouching as he bit on his nails.

"What's going on?" I asked curiously, nervous for what they were going to say.

"We've came to a conclusion, after the weeks you've been here. The things you've done to help us around here... we all have seen it." Hershel said, helping himself up from the steps with his crutch. Looking at Hershel then at Rick, then around the room.

I begin to become confused, also noticing Glenn had a slight smile lurking on his face.

"Rick?" Hershel spoke.

"I know we were harsh on you for the days you've been here, which I hope you understand." Rick began speaking. "You've put your trust in us and it's only right if we put ours in you. So uh, we think maybe you can stay."

"Really? All of you?" I looked at Rick, then turned my head to look at Daryl who kept his hand in front of his mouth, almost as if he was hiding.

"We could really use another person in this prison to help out." Rick ignores my question, but continues to explain. "Someone who loves to help out. But one wrong move that could harm us, you're out."

"Yeah, we need you." Glenn encouraged.

"Well I'm flattered. Thank you. It means a lot." I said. I saw Daryl and heard him snicker, as he leaned off the wall and walked away, out of the room.

"He's uh, not much of a people person. Especially new people." He said.

"Of course not." I chuckled.

"He'll come around." Rick said. "He will." 

"C'mon, let's eat. I'm starving." Glenn said, patting a free seat next to him at the table for me.

"Aren't we all." Carl said, causing everyone to smile and laugh.

"She's adorable." I told Carl, who was holding Judith in his arms.

"Yeah, she is." He smiled, gazing down at his sister.

"So, where's your mom? I don't think I got to meet her yet." I asked. I saw Carl put his head down to look at Judith again, and sigh. "Oh... Carl. I'm sorry. I -"

"It's okay. You didn't know."

"I'm sorry." I said, biting on my bottom lip. "Can I hold her?"

Carl smiled, handing me Judith.

"Your mother must've been very beautiful. She has two very cute kids." I smiled down at Judith, and then to Carl.

He laughed a little, "She was."

"I think it's time for you to bring Judith to sleep, as well as yourself." Rick said, entering the cell block, talking to Carl, as he interrupted us.

"Okay Dad." Carl stood up, and took Judith away. "Good night Alex."

"Good night, Carl." I said, while standing up and heading to my own cell to go to sleep.

"I need you up early tomorrow. I need help with farming, the fence too." Rick said.

"Okay, sure."

"He'll come around."

"What?"

"Daryl. He'll come around. I said it before, but It just takes some time. Especially for him...It's harder." He explained.

"So I've been told." I said, smiling slightly.

"Alright well, see you tomorrow." Rick spoke, while walking away.

It wasn't that hot today as it was yesterday, thank gosh. Obviously, I still managed to get all hot and dirty, while digging with my fingers and shovels to plant some stuff Rick handed me. All I could hear around me were these walkers pushing against the fence. I tried to block out the noise, but I couldn't concentrate. The walkers were pushing so damn hard on the fence, at any minute it could come caving in.

After finishing up what Rick wanted me to do, I sat on the ground and chugged the rest of my water from my bottle. It was too hot for this long sleeved shirt, so I took it off, leaving me in my black tank top. I put my hair up and closed my eyes with my face up towards the sun.

I forgot what silence sounded like, without all the walkers. I was scared to admit it to anyone; that I was scared of these walkers. Scared of being alone and not knowing any of these people at all. I was scared. 

"I would never hit a girl, just so you know." I heard a voice from behind me. I turned around and saw Daryl, looking at me, slouching on the wall in my cell. It was getting dark out, the sun almost gone. Everyone was probably getting ready to finish up eating, while I stood in my cell.

"It didn't seem like it yesterday.." I mumbled to him, while cleaning up the dirt of my shirt. I needed a shower, change of clothes desperately.

"That's why I'm telling you now," he sighed. "I wouldn't lay a hand on a woman. Anyone that's not a threat. Ever."

"Okay." I said, looking straight at him. I get that he wanted to say that to me, but did he have to stay longer with nothing else to say? I looked at him, while he was staring at the ground. I sat down on my bed and went to lay down. At the corner of my eyes, I saw Daryl make his way out of my cell, but then quickly turn around.

"Oh, I know you just did pretty heavy farming with Rick today, but Rick wants me out on a run tomorrow."

"Okay, and?" I questioned, taking my boots off and placing them on the ground.

"And I need to you come with me."

"Just us?" I asked.

"Nah, others too. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you ask if it will be just us? Don't trust me still?" He questioned while looking right at my eyes.

"I never said I don't trust you-"

"So you do?"

"We'll find out." I said while sitting down on my bed. Just as I was about to say something else, I heard Daryl leave the cell, and noticed he covered the entrance with the white sheet that's used as a "door" for privacy. I turned to my side and covered myself with the blankets and tried to fall asleep, while thinking about Daryl and the way he is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -  
> Just want to let you know, the way Daryl speaks on the show is the same way it is in this story...  
> I'm just not writing it out like "ain't" and "yer" or whatever.   
> I just find it annoying!


	6. Chapter 5- On The Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A group is formed and set to go on a run to a place to find the things they need back at the prison. Alex being herself, ends up almost getting herself and them killed.

"You ready?" Maggie asked me, as I had just finished packing up my bag and getting my gun.

"Yeah, I am." I smiled, while following Maggie out of the cell block and to the black charger, where Daryl and Tyrese were packing up the car. I saw Rick out in the fields talking to Hershel, and Carl walking my way.

"Hey kid." I said to Carl, and he stood in front of me.

"I'm not a kid." He said stubbornly.

"What's up?" I squinted my eyes down at him and I gave his hair a quick toss.

"I was wondering... If uh..."

"If what?" I smirked, while furrowing my eyebrows.

"If you could find me something cool?"

"Something cool? Hm, I'll try too." I laugh, watching him walk away to his dad out in the field. What a kid.

"Let's go." Daryl said, while slamming the car door after he got into the drivers seat. I made my way to the car, and sat in the back with Maggie and Tyrese by my sides.

The drive was silent, but I was beginning to feel comfortable, despite Daryl and I's last run together. But this time, I wasn't taking no for an answer and I was going to actually go on a run with them.

After what felt like hours in the car, we arrived at the place we had decided to check out, thanks to Rick and Hershel.

Daryl and Therese decided they would go in and make sure there weren't any walked around in the front. They must've took no less than ten minutes scoping out the first floor.

"So, we're good?" Maggie asked, her head out the window.

"Yeah, we should be. Just took out some of the walkers, might not be any left." Tyrese explained. 

"What about the second floor?" I asked.

"If there's anymore in there, we can take them out quickly." Daryl replied. "C'mon." He waved at us, signaling us to follow him to the building.

"Let's just get everything we need and leave." Maggie whispered, leading us into the building. I followed Daryl, with Maggie beside me, and Tyreese behind her.

It was my first run. It was unlike anything I've done on my own. When I was alone, I avoided buildings at all cost, no matter what useful things might've been inside. Instead, I opted with traveling far and only entering one story places.

Walking down the dark hallway had started to make me feel nervous and a bit claustrophobic. I was never one to feel closed in, but suddenly everything had got to me. Every little thing that was normal before, had escalated into something that gave me anxiety. Even people... even Daryl. His demeanor I had encountered everyday had struck a nerve in me.

Or maybe it was me being nervous around him?

Was the intimidation working? The way he had walked about and the way he spoke - or barely spoke - might've gave me butterflies like I was a damn teenage girl all over again.

I didn't know much about him, but from what I've heard from the group back at the prison, is that he'd come around, but that's hard to believe. I needed to stop thinking about it all right now, and focus on getting what we needed. 

We turned around the corner and entered into a long dark hallways, and a couple of walkers. Daryl and Maggie went in front of me and Tyreese, to go take out those walkers. I sighed in annoyance, because of Daryl not letting help.

"Ok, we're clear." Maggie whispered, loud enough so me and Tyreese could hear.

"So," I said, climbing over the first chair and other things blocking the doorway, where Daryl and Maggie had entered. "What exactly are we getting here?" I looked up to see Maggie already packing things in her bag. I continued to climb over another chair, until I almost fell.

A pair of hands quickly grabbed on to my waist from behind, catching me before I could fall to the ground. "Watch your step next time." He said.

"Thanks." I sighed, then walking away towards Maggie.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be good." I roll my eyes as I think about Daryl. "So anything specific?"I looked around my surroundings.

"Anything we need." Maggie said. "Pretty much all of it. But if we can't take a lot, we'll plan another trip back. As soon as possible."

"I'll opt out of that one." I say, walking away and looking at broken glass cabinets.

I carefully opened it, and saw a bunch of boxes of aid kits and bottles of cleaning alcohol, and other medical supplies, bandages and tubes of medical ointments. I started to gather as much as my two bags could hold.

Half an hour or so must've passed. All of us had gathered everything we think we needed. We followed behind Daryl, as we made our way towards the door. He told us we might have to climb over the stack of chairs to make it to the other side.

Unfortunately, being me, I just had to trip again, making myself fall with a chair landing on me and chairs falling onto the floor, making a bunch of loud clanking noises. "Shit!"

"God dammit!" I looked up and saw Daryl looking down at me and then at the other end of the hallway at a bunch of walkers making there way down to us. Daryl had pulled me up and turned away, as Tyreese moved the chairs out of the way.

"Fuck!" I hiss out, then apologizing for what I had just done.

"How are we getting out of here?" Maggie said.

"That's our only way out, and to the car." Tyreese said, Referring to the busy hallway of walkers blocking our way to the exit of the building.

"We'll find a way." Daryl said. "Follow me."


	7. Chapter 6- Working Things Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The run gets them into trouble. Rick is set on trying to make Daryl and Alex work whatever is wrong with them, out. Alex

We followed Daryl down to the other part of the hallway, getting away from the walkers. We turned to the left of the corner, and hid.

Daryl peeked his head out. "There's about fifteen of them heading this way. We could take them."

"I don't think I can. I hurt my wrist when I fell." I spoke up.

"Suck it up." Daryl said.

"Daryl, come on." Maggie glared at him, as he huffed out a breath like he always does.

"Is it your good hand?" Tyreese asked me.

"No, but all those bags... I need carry them. I can't do both at the same time."

"Alright, here's the plan. Just carry the bags the best you can, while we get us out of here. Stay behind Maggie, and stay in front of me." Tyreese said. I nodded, getting ready to leave.

"Always saving someone." Daryl mumbled.

"Just start running!" Daryl yelled, as he killed already two walkers, and continued to do so. Tyreese was shoving two walkers to the side and killing them quickly. Maggie shot one, and stabbing another, as I walked in panic and then eventually running towards the door.

Unlike the previous run, it wasn't that quiet. Tyreese and I got to talking about the things we missed from before everything had happened. The basic things, like food our family cooked, music we loved and even not having that many troubles like we do now.

Maggie occasionally asked a few questions as she sat up in the front with Daryl, who was driving and just keeping to himself. I wondered how long it'd take him to be nice or comfortable around me, since these people probably didn't know him since before this had happened.

We arrived back at the prison, the car now safely behind the fences with us in it. Rick had stood next to the car, waiting for us to get out.

"How'd it go?" I heard Rick say, as soon as I got out the car as fast as I could.

"Nothing we can't handle." Maggie said.

Rick came walking over to me, and started to help me with the bags we had in the back of the trunk.

"Where's Hershel?" I asked.

"He should be inside with Beth and Judith." Rick said. "You okay?"

"She hurt her hand and almost got us killed." I heard Daryl said, as he began to walk over.

"Almost got us-what? I didn't. We weren't even in danger, we're fine, Rick." I said.

"Says the girl with the hurt wrist."

Rick sighed, "I'll help out here. Alex, go find Hershel, get your wrist wrapped up."

"Alright." I said, and began to go find Hershel. 

"It's not broken, just sprained." Hershel explained while he examined it. "You can take it off in a week or so," Hershel started to wrap my wrist up.

"A week?" I sighed.

"Yes." Hershel looked up and smiled and I smiled back.

"Can I ask you something? Since you're, you know, I guess the go to man around here."

"Go ahead." He said, still focusing on my wrist, a smile lingering on his face.

"How do you make amends with someone? Someone you never were close with or never even got the chance to know?"

"I assume you're talking about Daryl?" Hershel interrupted.

"Yeah. I just don't want to get in fights and Rick has enough and throws me out, I guess."

"I assume people have told you that he just needs to get used to having new people around. Because if he gets to close, he's worried they'll disappear, won't trust them and or they'll die right in front of him."

I didn't answer, I just looked at Hershel, knowing he could be right. It stood quiet for awhile, until he finished warping my wrist. "Okay, you're good to go."

-

"It's only been a week since she's been here."

I heard Daryl whispering to someone in the cellblock. I stood standing around the corner holding my right hand in my left, wincing from the pain in my wrist. Peeking my head in, I had seen Daryl talking to Rick by the stairs.

"Daryl, We let Bob do the same. He's trustworthy, and so is Alexandra from what I can tell so far." 

"That's different." Daryl spoke back.

"And how is it different, Daryl?" I heard Rick sigh.

"It just is." He answered. I walked straight into the cellblock, and they must've heard me walk in, because they quickly stopped talking and looked at me.

"You were talking about me." I said, not sure if it was a question, or a statement. I was staring directly into Daryl's eyes.

"I think it's best if you two work things out. It would make things better for future runs..." Rick said, walking towards me. I glared at him and he shrugged his shoulders, leaving the cell block to the two of us.

"You know, If you think I'm untrustworthy or have any negative feelings towards me, you could've said something to me," I sighed, looking at him straight in the eyes. He looked at me too, but didn't say anything, just stood there and looked. "Or don't." I sighed. He mumbled something, and just walked away like what I said was nothing.


	8. Chapter 7- Hopefully

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashing back in a dream, Alex has a memory held inside her head which causes her heart to break. Daryl and Alex have a run in when she's woken by the dream.

Flashback

"Alex! Is it almost ready?" My niece yelled from the living room. I was currently cooking thanksgiving dinner for my family for the first time, in my new apartment. It was big enough for my family and my boyfriend's family to all come together. "Yes! Be patient, Nikkie!" I yelled back. As I was smashing the potatoes and sweet potatoes, two hands wrapped around me and held me tight.

"Smells great." I turned around and saw my boyfriend Ryan smiling down at me.

"Thank you. It would help if you start setting up the table like I told you to do earlier," I laughed, as he gave me a look. "What?" I asked.

"You're just so god damn beautiful." He answered.

"Oh yeah sure- me sweating with my hair up and not dressed up like everyone else, is beautiful?" I laughed, while putting the two bowls of potatoes on the dinning room table right next to the kitchen. "You are, Alex." He laughed. "What else do you need help with?"

"Just get everyone settled, while I uh-" I looked down at my clothes and back up at him, "get dressed and look better." He sighed while walking over to me, cupping my cheeks and giving me a big long kiss on my forehead.

"I love you." He said.

"And I love you." I smiled, then walking away.

"Thank you guys for uh coming, both families. This is our first official family dinner all together..." Ryan rambled on about how thankful he was for all of us getting together nicely and not crazy like the families in movies who don't like each other. "Lastly, I just want to thank Alexandra for slaving in the kitchen to make this thanksgiving dinner, and for being mine." He laughed.

"Thank you." I said shyly. "I'm not the type who uh, makes speeches or do anything of this really, but I guess this is," my 'speech' went on for another minute, then everyone did their fair share of giving thanks. 

After a long night of thanksgiving dinner, dessert, talking and more eating, I was completely tired. I didn't clean up anything. I didn't even remember till I was laying down in my bed resting. I sat up and began my way to the kitchen. I stood in the doorway of the kitchen as I saw Ryan leaning over the sink cleaning dishes, pots and pans.

"I could feel you staring at me." His voice made me jump a little.

"You always do that." I laughed and he responded with a laugh as well. I walked up behind him and then stood next to him with my back against the counter, looking at him. "Need help?" I asked.

"I'm almost done." He answered. "Go rest, I'll be there soon." He smiled. I didn't go rest. I stood there waiting for him to be done so that we could go to bed together. A couple of minutes later he finished cleaning. He walked towards the fridge and took a gulp of water then closed it. "What?" He asked, looking at my eyes from across the kitchen

"Nothing," I smiled. "You're just so god damn beautiful." I mocked him, from what he said earlier to me.

"Haha, funny." He laughed. He began walking towards me, very seriously. He now had me trapped between him and the kitchen counter. His hands were resting on the counter with me between, and staring at my eyes. I placed my hands on his waist, and smiled up at him. "I love you." I said, right before his lips crashed onto mine.

He placed his hands on my waist, then down on my thighs, lifting me up onto the counter. "I love you." He said. "I love you so much."

"What has gotten into you lately?" I laughed.

"Let's get married." He blurted out.

"What?" I opened my mouth and my eyes opened wide.

"Let's get married. Next week."

"Are you serious?" I laughed.

"Yes I am! Let's do it- we've been together for so long, we should do it."

"Not next week!"

"Fine, two weeks! A month?! I just want to be married to you." He laughed, then kissed me. "Okay." I answered.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." I smiled.

I opened up my eyes, tears slowly falling down. I remember that day.. and after that conversation, we've got into numerous stupid arguments. It led me to pack my stuff up and live with my family for awhile. We never got married, or back together. But eventually, I moved back into the apartment after Christmas, after we decided to fix things, but it was never the same. After I found my parents and sister turned into the dead, that's when I knew I had to put them down and out of misery. That's when I knew everyone I ever knew was dead and that I would never find Ryan ever again. 

I groaned when I realized I had no more water left in the bottle. Leaving my cell to go to the tables where the water was, I bumped into Daryl... again.

"Oh hey, sorry." I said, rubbing my left eye.

"You alright?" He asked, while walking beside me as I made my way to the steel steps and sitting down.

"I guess." I answered. I looked up at him and saw him standing in front of me. "You don't need to stay here."

"I know." He mumbled, while slowly sitting next to me. It was silent for awhile, surprisingly not awkward but comfortable. "I was gonna tell you tomorrow, but since you're here now-"

"Tell me what?" I interrupted.

"If you'd let me talk, you'd know."

"Right. Sorry." I smiled to myself.

"Anyways," he sighed. "Guess I'm just tryin' to say. sorry about being harsh on you. It's hard in this world to trust someone who's alone."

"I guess I understand. It would look shady." I said.

"You sure you're alright?"

"I'll be fine. Thanks for uh, asking."

"Mhm." He mumbled. I looked at him while he looked straight ahead into the darkness of the cell block. I studied his stubbled face and long hair around his eyes. "Stop staring." He said. I opened my eyes wide than before and turned my head to the right, out of Daryl's sight, closing my eyes, remembering that my boyfriend used to say that all the time to me whenever I stared at him.

"You alright?" He asked again. I tried not to cry as I sat up and started to walk away to head to my cell and try to sleep to get rid of these memories that were too much to handle.

"No, but I'll be fine. Hopefully." Hopefully. "Are we good?" I asked, before making my way to my cell.

"Yeah, I guess so."

I looked at him and smiled, before disappearing into my cell, in the dark.


	9. Chapter 8- Infected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prison is threatened at the very front gates, causing everyone to come together.

Its been, I'm guessing, more than a month of being here in this prison, maybe even longer. Daryl and I have gotten closer. But, that only meant he wouldn't say harsh things to me like he would a couple of months ago. He was sweet to me and I was sweet to him. We helped each other a lot; going on runs together, helping out with the fence. But, he was always keeping quiet, occasionally a few words whenever we took breaks, or when we needed to on the runs we went out on.

Today, I was farming and talking with Rick and Carl in the beaming sun. I felt safe and welcomed, and didn't feel useless anymore. The noise was the same as always. Walkers - which I picked up their names from Rick and everyone - moaning for something to chew on. Tuning it out was the hard part, but you couldn't do anything about it, you just needed to learn to live with it.

Suddenly, snapping me out it my thoughts and farming, we all hear two gunshots coming from the inside of the prison. I looked towards the prison and furrowed my eyebrows, then at Rick.

"Stay close." I heard Rick say to Carl.

"Help! Help! Please, come quick." We heard a young girl scream coming out of the prison, as me and Rick quickly ran.

"Cell block?" Maggie yelled from the tower. I looked over to her and then to Rick.

"I don't know!" He yelled back. "Get in the tower with Maggie. Don't argue, go." Rick told Carl. "Alex, come with me." Rick and I started to run, while we both threw our farming gloves to the floor and ran passed the gates

"Walkers in D!" Glen yelled out.

"Shit." I said. "How many?"

"Enough." He answered, his face twisted with concern.

"What about C?" Rick yelled.

"Clear. We locked the gates to the tombs." Sasha yelled out. "Hershel's on guard!" Behind Sasha I saw Daryl. He must've saw me because he quickly came running to me.

"You're alright." I said, our hands clutching onto each other's, his hand squeezing tightly around mine. "I'm glad you're safe." I whispered. "Daryl-"

I got cut off by Daryl letting me go, "It ain't a breach." Daryl said, and then quickly running with Sasha as she yelled

"We followed the plan!" Tyreese, came up running and follows them in to the cellblock, then Rick, then me. "I don't understand..."

As soon as we entered, people were screaming. They started to kill each walker they had seen. I saw Daryl quickly shove Carol carefully and took the gun she had, and yelled. There was so much going on, my head turning in every direction. Walkers. People running, shooting, killing the walkers with anything they could use. Children yelling and going into cells to protect themselves. Some people were defenseless and had no idea what to do.

"Daryl!" Rick yelled, "I got this. We got this! Are you bit? Go! Get out of here!" Rick screamed. Everyone's was running, everyone was yelling. A walker was running up right behind Rick, until I went and stabbed it in the head, then causing me to run into Rick with the walker in front of me. "You okay?!" I panicked.

"I'm good!" He answered, then ran to go kill more of the walkers, attacking.

I ran up the stairs and began to kill the first walker I seen, with my knife, and then went back down a couple of steps on the other side of the stairs. I paused. I just panicked. I didn't know what to do. I was never in a situation like this before - not with this many walkers, not with this many people. I was always freaked out, but today it was on another level.

I felt something touch me, but I didn't move. I turned around on the steps and saw a walker right in front of me. Someone snatched me and pulled me down the stairs, and out of the cellblock D.

"Alex! Are you okay? Are you bit?" I looked up, my eyes meeting Glenn.

"Yeah, yeah- I'll um- I'll be fine." I stuttered. "This hasn't happened to me before, I don't know what happened in there. I think I was just confused or-"

"It's okay, you'll be fine. Just go wait somewhere for me. Okay?"

"Yeah- yeah okay." I said, while walking away as fast as I could. 

Later in the day, after everything was handled, we noticed Karen walking by coughing. I was getting ready to get up until I saw Tyreese. He smiled at me, and quickly caught up to her. "You okay?" He asked her. I couldn't hear but I didn't really care- not to be rude.

"Are you sure?" Carol came walking out. "You don't sound to good."

"We're just taking her back to my cell so she could rest." Tyreese explained.

"Tyreese. I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why? What's going on now?" Karen asked.

"We think it's a flu or something." Glenn spoke. "That's how Patrick died." I got up quickly as Glenn said that. "What?" I said. I saw Daryl come out the room, and he walked over to me and stood next to me- but no too close for some reason.

"Judith was in that cell block. She's vulnerable. Anyone that may be sick or even exposed should stay away." Hershel explained. I grabbed onto Daryl's arm, and squeezed it.

"It killed Patrick?" Karen asked, her eyebrows pulled together in worry.

"She's gonna be okay." Tyreese said with a angry look on his face. "Now that we know what Patrick died from, we can treat it, right?"

"Don't panic. We're going to figure this out. But we should keep you separated in the meantime. We'll have Caleb take a look at you. I'll see what we have in the way of medications." Hershel sighed.

"David from the Decatur group, he's been coughing too." Karen added.

"I'll- I'll get him." Glenn said, slowly walking away. "There's some empty clean cells in the tombs, right?" Glen said to Sasha. "Yeah we'll meet you there."Sasha went up to Tyreese and Karen and began walking away to get her settled down.

"Have to call another meeting later." Hershel said to Daryl.

"All right." Daryl sighed. "I'll get to burying the dead ones."

"You wear gloves and a mask." Hershel demanded. "Both of you." He said, looking at me.

"Uh-huh." Daryl hummed, as he grabbed my wrist and began walking away, with me following.

"Okay, Daryl, I'm confused. What's going on?"

"There's a sickness. We need to stay away from people. And those sick people- we need to put them in a cell block. Possibly A." Daryl explained.

"Okay, yeah. I'll help."

"This means we have to stay away from each other- everyone does."

"But we were already both exposed to it. We could both be sick, all of us. It doesn't make a difference."

"I know," he sighed. "We just don't need to get each other sick anymore than we already have."

"Daryl- c'mon. Don't be like that."

"You'll help me bury these bodies."

"I um..."

"Just dig holes with me. I'll do the rest."

"Okay. Thanks." I said. "Daryl," I grabbed his arm so he wouldn't walk any further than he already had. "I'm really glad you're okay. One of those bodies could've been you." I said awkwardly- not knowing if we're that close yet. "Or me."

"Yeah same here." He spoke.

"Hey, now that we're cool, you think that means we have to make out now?" I laughed, as Daryl snickered and walked passed me.

"I'll let you know." I heard Daryl say faintly, with a bit of laughter in his voice. 

Daryl and I were currently digging two different graves right next to each other, underneath the grayish sky. It looked like it was going to down pour anytime soon. "Glad your were in there." I heard Daryl say. I looked up and saw Rick right near him.

"Wasn't much use without my gun." Rick mumbled.

"No you were."Daryl sighed, and took off his bandana around his mouth. "All this time you've been taking off, you earned it. We wouldn't be here without you."

"Ah, it was all of us." Rick said, picking up a shovel.

"No, it was you first." Daryl responded.

"I'm going to take a break. If that's okay?" I asked Daryl and Rick, leaving them to talk in private.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up with you later." Daryl said. I smiled and began to walk away to go take a shower.

"Rick! Daryl!" I heard Maggie yell out their names as I turned around. The fence was about to fall down any minute and walkers all piled up on each other. I ran towards Daryl and Rick and stood right next to Rick.

"Oh shit." Rick said.

"C'mon!" Daryl got up out the grave with my help, and threw his shovel to the ground and gave me his knife while taking his crossbow. We both ran towards the fence. "The noise drew 'em out and now this part is starting to give!" We all started to kill the walkers through the fence, with knives, metal and other weapons, besides guns. Glenn, Sasha and Tyreese joined us, as the sounds and movements of the walkers progressed.

The rattling of the fence made me scared, but with Daryl telling me before never to be scared and be brave, reminded me to do those things and do it right. Our grunts and the walkers moans mixed together making even louder noises. My arms felt so sore already from taking out as many walkers as I could.

At any moment, my arms could give just like the fence could too. I saw Maggie fall to the ground. "You okay?" I yelled. I saw Maggie nod, then helping herself up.

"Are you seeing this?!" Sasha yelled. Everyone gathered to where Sasha was, staring at a pile of something.

"Is someone feeding these things?" I looked over Daryl's shoulder and saw dead rats. I quickly looked away as Daryl held my arm. I practically stuffed my face into his shoulder. Yes, I've seen walkers dead and smelled them- but it's still disgusting to see dead rats. Guess I'm never going to get used to these thing. "That's just disgusting." I said to Daryl, covering my mouth.

"Heads up!" Daryl said, as the fence came down as we tried to kill more walker. "It's gonna give!" Rick yelled. Some walkers were so weak, their faces went through the fence. We were all screaming and grunting trying to make it not fall over.

"Everybody back! Come on, back, now!" Daryl yelled, while pulling me and Rick back with him.

"Daryl get the truck." Rick said calmly. "I know what to do." Daryl was beginning to walk away, and I followed him. "You're going out there?" I said.

"I guess I am."

"Okay, be safe out there guys."

Daryl nodded, then waking away to get the truck. While continuing to kill the walkers, in the distance I saw Daryl driving the truck and Rick doing something to make the walkers go a different direction. Which was working a little bit...


	10. Chapter 9- Council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right when Daryl is getting Alex to teach her to shoot, they're interrupted by Rick and a huge problem. Alex is welcomed in the council at the prison. The group discusses their new problem, a sickness that threatens everyone there, making everyone set a distance between each other.

"You ready to shoot?" Daryl asked, while standing in the entrance of my cell. I finished putting my hair up, and turned to Daryl. "Yeah, oh and hopefully get my hands on that crossbow of yours?" I smirked, hoping he would teach me that too.

"In your dreams, woman." He snickered, while I rolled my eyes and laughed. Surprisingly he started to laugh a little. Our laughing "party" got cut short when Rick bursted into my cell.

"Daryl, come on. I need you." Rick said, "You can come too." He added.

"Hey, if this is a council meeting, I'm not in the council so, I'll stay here." I said.

"I'm not in it either- with Sasha sick, we could need you, but seriously, come on." Rick said. We began following Rick, into a different cellblock, and outside. We saw Tyreese and Carol standing there. Rick went up closer to Tyreese as he said something. Me and Daryl went near Carol and stood by her.

"You found em like this?" Rick asked Tyreese. We stood at the burnt, still smoking, two bodies on the floor. "I came to see Karen...and I saw the blood on the floor- then I smelled them."

"Oh my god." I whispered to Daryl, while rubbing my face with my hand in disbelief, and keeping my hand over my mouth. "Tyreese..."

"Somebody dragged them out here, and set them on fire!" Tyreese angrily almost yelled. "They killed them and set them on fire!" Quickly, Tyreese got into Ricks face, then Rick backed up quickly. Daryl also quickly came up behind Tyreese. "You're a cop. You find out who did this and bring them to me." Daryl was still hesitantly waiting to do something to Tyreese. "You understand?! You bring em to me!"

"Man, we'll find out who- ." Daryl got cut off my Tyreese. I saw him grab his arm and then pushing Daryl away. Rick and Tyreese stared at each other while he was still huffing and puffing. "I need to say it again?" He angrily said.

"No, no." Rick said. "I know what you're feeling, I've been there. You saw me there. It's dangerous-"

"Karen didn't deserve this." Tyreese cut Rick off. I stood there, still in disbelief. "David didn't deserve it." Tyreese got into Ricks face again. "Nobody does!"

"Alright man," Daryl put his hand on Tyreese's arm and pulled him. "Let's-" Tyreese quickly turned around and pushed up Daryl against the bars.

"Daryl!" I yelled, heading over to help out, but Daryl putting his hand up to say stop. "We're on the same side man." Daryl said.

"Hey look," Rick butted in. "I know what you're going through..." I stopped listening and began to walk away, and leave because I couldn't handle this. I hate people fighting and I hate seeing people in pain. Quickly, I tuned around hearing Tyreese scream at Rick while Carol screamed, "Stop!"

I saw Tyreese punch Rick down to the floor and punching him again. "Guys!" I screamed. Rick stood up and Daryl held Tyreese back. Rick's face started to bleed, and then Rick punching Tyreese into the face, while Daryl took a big leap back. Rick began punching and kicking Tyreese as he was on the floor, groaning and beginning to cry.

"Rick." Daryl said warningly. "Stop!"

"Let go of me!" Rick yelled to Daryl.

"Rick!" I yelled out.

"Let go of me!" Rick yelled again. Rick shoved Daryl off of him, and he walked backwards towards me. I took Daryl's wrist and made him come stand next to me, to help calm down, even though he was sort of calm before.

"C'mon, let's go." I said to Daryl, as I saw Carol with Rick and Tyreese. Daryl followed me, with my hand still around his wrist. It was quiet the whole time I took him to my cell. We both sat down on my bed and it stood quiet. "So, no training today, right?" I laughed a little. I saw Daryl smirk a little as well.

"You seem to do that a lot, Lex." Daryl said.

"Do what?"

"Say humorous things after or during a bad situation."

"Yeah I- I guess I just try to see or feel the good things not the bad." I sighed. Our conversation got short by Hershel walking in. "I just don't necessary confine in it."

"Council meeting later- and bring her." Hershel said, then walking away.

"Well okay then." I smiled. "No training today I guess."

"Maybe afterwards- if it doesn't get too late." Daryl spoke, while getting up and walking out of my cell, and out my sight. "You coming?" I heard Daryl said loudly.   
-  
"It's starting to spread. Everyone who survived the attack in D. Sasha, Caleb and now others." Hershel broke the silence.

"Oh Jesus." Daryl sighed. I turned to Daryl and saw him put his head down. I took my hand and placed it on his, which was resting on his knee, in comfort.

"So what do we do?" Carol asked.

"Yeah. There's not many options." I said.

"First things first. Cell block A is isolation." Hershel sort of answered. "What the hell we gonna do about that?" Daryl asked.

"Ask Rick to look into it. Try to make a timeline. Who's where when...?" Carol said.

"But what are we gonna do to stop this?" I asked. I took my hand away from Daryl's, and I pulled my hair back into a pony. "There is no stopping it." I looked up at Hershel. "You get it, you have to go through with it."

"But it just kills you?" We all turned around and saw a mad Michonne just standing there.

"The illness doesn't." Hershel answered. "The symptoms do. We need antibiotics." Daryl leaned over to me and placed his hand on my knee, like I did to him previously- as he noticed my discomfort and worry in my face and posture.

"We've been through every pharmacy nearby. And then some." Dart said. Hershel said something else but I wasn't paying attention. I saw Glenn across from me sweating and cleared his throat.

"Glenn?" I said. He looks sick, and I'm really hoping nothing too serious got to him- we've lost too many people with this sickness, we can't go through it again. He looked at me and everyone else who stared at him, and nodded.

"Too big to risk before." Daryl spoke, after that little silence. "Ain't now. I'm gonna take a group out." He said, while standing up.

"Best not waste anymore time." Daryl said. "I'm in." Michonne said. I wasn't paying attention again, but quickly tried to. "I can draw you a map." Hershel said to Daryl. 

"Daryl- I'm going too." I said, while walking out with him into the halls.

"Your hand still looks bad."

"I'm fine. It's been days. I shoveled just yesterday."

"Barely." Daryl mumbled.

"Hey, c'mon. This would be good for me. It'll be training for runs since you know, I need to learn to stop falling and just do something."

"Okay then." Daryl spoke, and looked at me.

"Great!" I said, while he rolled his eyes and smirking while we both continued to walk.

"You just better not fall again." I didn't see Daryl's face when he said this, but I could sense that he smiling.

"So, are you two fond of each other?" Glenn asked, as we were getting water into a bin.

"Excuse me?" I nervously laughed, while looking down at him.

"Daryl and you." He laughed too.

"We're just friends. Not even that if you ask him." I smiled, leaning on the fence waiting for her to finish up. "Fond?" I laughed to myself, shaking my head.

"Very close friends." Glen mumbled while looking up at me smirking.

"I know what it means." I laughed. "We are not that close and will never be more than that."

"Okay, sure."

"I'm serious!" I said.

"Didn't say you weren't." Glen replied. "Me and Maggie liked each other but then something happened and then we just fell in love and forgot our troubles."

"And? What does that have to do with me and him?" I asked.

"Just saying that sometimes in a beginning of a friendship or something what you and Daryl have, it doesn't go smoothly- but once you figure things out and your feelings thing would work out." Glenn said, standing up and setting the bin of water aside.

"C'mon," Glenn smiled, while throwing his arm around my shoulders in a friendly manor, "Let's go get some food or something. I'm starving."

"Pretty sure we all are." I laughed.

When I walked outside the cellblock after packing up some gear for the run, I saw Daryl fixing up the charger and Michonne standing there. I started to walk over with a smile on my face.

"Hey." I said to Michonne.

"Hey, I'll be right back." She responded, talking to me and Daryl. I smiled at her, then leaned over to see what he was doing. "What's up?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Nothing," I smiled a little. "We're leaving soon?"

"Yeah, as soon as I'm done." Daryl answered, and I nodded my head. The weather was quite chili out, tons of clouds and some dark grey clouds.

"Let's hope it doesn't rain." I said, looking at the sky then back at Daryl.

"Worse can happen you know." He said looking up at me. I gave him a look, as he stood up straight and wiped his hands on some handkerchief or bandana. "What? I'm just saying. Not everything goes smooth."

"Well, you can make it go a certain way-"

Daryl laughed. "There you go again." I smiled at him, knowing what he meant. Daryl closed the good of the car and looked at me and smiled. It wasn't a smirk, or a fake smile or a quick one. It was real-

"Everything look alright?" Bob said, unintentionally interrupting our moment, carrying some containers filled with gas.

"Yeah. Zack kept this thing running pretty good."

"Who's Zack?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows.

"Beth's boyfriend- used to be."

"Where is he?"

"You ask to many questions, woman." Daryl snickered.

"This is Zack's car?" Bob asked.

"Yep, fastest thing we got." Daryl looked at the car, then at Bob, who was staring at the car.

" You alright?" Daryl asked.

"You really want me coming along?" Bob asked, moving his stare to Daryl.

"Yes we do, Bob." I said, giving him a smile. Daryl walked up to Bob and pulled out a piece of paper. "What's that word?" Showing him the paper.

"Zanamivir." Bob answered.

"Yup, we need you." Daryl responded walking away and towards me. I smiled at Bob and then at Daryl. Me and Daryl were leaning up against the car, dangerously close, making me feel nervous for some reason, but not scared nervous.

"What's up?" I looked at Daryl and saw him talking to Tyreese.

"Still got room for one more?" He asked.

"Hell yeah." Daryl responded.

"Good." Tyreese said.

"It'll be a tight squeeze though." I said.

"Then Bob sits in the back, you in the middle and then Michonne. It'll work." Daryl said.

"Aright then, it's settled." I smiled.

"I'll just go get my gear then." Tyreese said.

"All right." Daryl mumbled.

"I'm glad he's okay." I said to Daryl, as soon as Tyreese left. "Have you seen Rick?" I asked.

"Nah," he cleared his throat, "Not since that fight." I nodded my head and leaned back onto the car, wondering about how this run will go.


	11. Chapter 10- Another Run, Another Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group goes on another run, which ends up going south as they run into yet more issues.

Daryl drives fast, as we're all packed together in the car. We were driving to the place Hershel wanted us to go, mentioning the medicine that could be there. The breeze from outside felt good, as our windows were down. The fall weather must've began, the leaves on the tree changing color and falling off branches and onto the road.

"Hey, I know you weren't running off." Daryl broke the silence. "The thing is, that trail went cold." He looked back at Michonne, who was sitting next to me and then his state went back to the rode. "You know that, right?" She didn't answer him. "If it was any different, I'd be right our there with you." He said, still earning some more silence from her. The radio flickered on, and static was the only thing to be heard. I looked towards Daryl and saw him touching it. "Would you hand me one of those CDs right there." Daryl asked Tyreese.

"... Find sanctuary." All of our heads snapped up and looked at the radio at the faint voice from the radio.

"What was that? Was that a voice?!" I asked.

"Wait!" Daryl yelled, trying to get everyone silent.

"...determined to survive... Keep alive." More static kept playing after that. In a matter of seconds, the cart took a sharp left turn by Daryl and I gasped. Daryl came to haul seconds later, and we all breathed heavily. Looking up, I couldn't believe what my eyes have seen. "Daryl..." I said.

"Yeah, I know." Daryl said back. We were all looking at a big heard of walkers coming towards us, and even more way back behind them. "Shit man!" Daryl said. The walkers surrounded the car, and we could hear them growling and moaning and groaning. "Grab something!" Daryl yelled, while looking back, getting ready to drive in reverse. Once we drove backwards, we got stuck in a pile of ran over walkers.

"Go to the left." Michonne said.

"We're jammed up!" Daryl yelled. "Make a run for the gaps right there!"

"Guys!" I yell, my eyebrows rising and my eyes opening wide in panic. "We are not- this is crazy!" 

"You two, make a run for the woods and don't you stop for nothing, you hear me?!" Daryl yelled at me and Michonne.

"No! I'm not letting us get separated!" I yelled back.

"Come on!" Michonne said, pulling my arm.

"Now, Alex!" Daryl yelled. Michonne opened up the door, and ran and so did I. I turned around quickly and saw Daryl climbing out the roof top of the car killing walkers with his arrows. I shot two that were in my way and ran, along with Michonne who was killing with her sword. I turned around to see Daryl getting closer to us and then stopping to look at Bob yelling at Tyreese. "Ty!" 

"Go! Go!" Tyreese was yelling at us. Bob came running towards us, and Daryl killed a walker that was almost on top of Bob. "Come on." Daryl said, and then we all started running towards and into the woods, killing more walkers that were in front of us. We stopped in the clear, but kept running for a little bit. "Hold up." Daryl said.

We turned around and saw Daryl behind us, putting an arrow in his cross bow. The trees and leafs started rustling and that's when I knew to come up behind Daryl to have his back just in case; so did Bob and Michonne. We were all breathing heavily from our running previously. We raised our weapons and started walking towards the noise of the walkers.

Two of them came out out of the leafs that we've just came out of and suddenly, the walker got hit in the head and fell down to reveal a tired and blood dirtied out out breath Tyreese. "Oh thank gosh." I sighed, putting my weapon down. "C'mon!" Daryl said, as Bob and him carried Tyreese as we ran away from some walkers.

A little bit later, we came across a little lake. We all stopped and started to clean our faces up and drink some of the water to cool down. Tyreese with his shirt off, almost sitting down in the water. Bob, Daryl and Michonne were talking about locations, as I stood behind them cleaning my face and re-putting my hair up.

"Yo, Ty!" Daryl spoke loud. "C'mon, let's go. Vámonos." Me and Michonne followed Daryl, and walked away from Tyreese and Bob.

We were currently walking on a little path in the woods, silently. The only sounds that could be heard were all of our boots hitting the ground. Behind me, were Bob and Tyreese walking slowly, and me alone, then Daryl and Michonne in front. I saw Daryl stop and look at the ground. "What is it?" I asked, while walking and stopping next to Michonne and him. Daryl licked a rock with his finger, making me furrow my eyebrows.

"Is that jasper?" Michonne asked.

"Mh-hmm." Daryl responded.

"Good color. Brings out your eyes." Michonne said. I laughed and looked at Daryl who rolled his eyes at me, and then looked at Michonne who was smiling big, and let out a laugh. "When Miss Richards went into the A block, we were leaving. Asked me to keep a look out." Daryl spoke. "I'm gonna use it for her old mans marker."

"You know all them back there?"

"Stay in one place for more than a couple a hours, you'd be surprised at what you pick up." Daryl said, as we all began walking again in silence. 

We arrived at what looked like a gas station/auto shop. A tree was fallen, and it looked dirty every where. "You see something?" Bob asked. I turned around and saw Daryl looking at something behind a bunch of leaves and stuff.

"I don't know, maybe." Daryl mumbled.

We all helped took off the leaves and vines that revealed a green van. "Bob!" I yelled. A walker revealed it's growling self from through the trees, snatching Bob. Michonne went ahead and killed the walker with her sword, chopping his head off.

"We're gonna need a new battery." Daryl spoke. "Got some friends inside." We started ripping off the vines and Tyreese was aggressively tugging on a bunch of vines and stuff. Minutes later, walkers came out of the vines, but were stuck. "Shit!" I yelled, as a walker almost bit me, until Daryl killed it. Then another walker got pulled out by Tyreese, and landed on top of him.

"Tyreese!" Bob yelled, the walker was still on him.

"Let it go!" Michonne yelled.

"Tyreese!" I ran up to him and pulled the walker off him, as Bob shot the walker.

"Why the hell didn't you let go?!" Michonne asked him, as it stood silent between all of us. Tyreese ignored her, and she walked away disgusted with the way he's been acting. 

I was standing outside keeping watch, waiting for Daryl and Bob to come back with hopefully and car battery, while Tyreese and Michonne were ripping off the vines on the van, and talking. "You should have let him go." I heard Michonne said, as I turned my head to see her trying to talk to the still angry Tyreese.

"The hell you know about it, huh?" Tyreese responded. "You the damn expert?" He walked up towards her face.

"No." She said.

"Ty, back up!" I shouted. "Stay out of this!" He shouted back.

"I just don't want to see you die." She said. "Is that what you're trying to do? Do you even know what you're trying to do?" Tyreese back away from her, ignoring her questions. I sighed and turned my back away from them to keep watching out and they kept talking. But I tuned them out.

I was finally sitting in the van waiting for Bob and Daryl to hurry up and fix the van up. I could hear them talking, but not so clearly. I stared out the window, which was rolled down, trying to hear out what Bob was saying to Daryl. I could smell the cigarettes being smoked by those two, which I found the smell to be disgusting, yet relaxing for some reason.

I looked at Bob as he entered the front seat of the van, and then at Daryl. Daryl blew out a puff of smoke, and stood there. He is one attractive man, I thought, as I sighed and closed my eyes. When I re opened them I saw Daryl clap his hands at the sound of the engine working. He whistled for Michonne and Tyreese, then slammed the hood down, and began walking to the passenger seat.

"... Let's go." Daryl said, and moments later we drove away. 

It was getting dark out as we arrived to the place Hershel told us to go to. "Looks likes we're getting closer." Daryl told us. "The building we want is just up ahead." Tyreese spoke. We entered the place we wanted to go in, with our weapons in our hands and raised. The place was dark, rather than outside. Daryl signaled us for an okay to go into the place.

We walked into this room, and saw a bunch of stuff. "Let's make this quick." Daryl whispered. I went to the back side of the room with Daryl and stopped next to him, and gathered anything that looked useful. "How you holding up?" Daryl asked.

"Fine. Tired though..." I answered.

"We'll get back soon. To the prison." He said. I shook my head, and continued to gather the stuff we needed, on the other side of the room. When Daryl, Tyreese and I were finished in the room, we headed to Michonne and Bob.

"How'd you do?" Bob asked.

"Bags, tubes, clamps." Tyreese said.

"And connectors." I said. "Everything on the list."

"What about y'all?" Daryl asked.

"Yep. We're good." Michonne said.

"Alight let's roll." Daryl said, as we all began to follow him. We walked in the hallway with flashlights on, and then quickly ran into some walkers. "Whoa, whoa whoa." Daryl said. We began running towards the end of the hallway and entered a dark room.

"Hey! Doors busted." Bob said.

"Oh, hold up." Daryl said back. They began to shut the door aggressively, as I spotted a sign that said 'stairwell'. "Look! Over there." I said. We all headed towards the stairwell sign, and within seconds a walker came out, and Tyreese killed it. A door was chained down, and a bunch of walkers were tying to get out.

Daryl broke a chair and got ready to open the door up, as we killed some walkers ahead of us. We began running and running up the stairs, looking for a way out. We got out the stair well, and tried getting out a different way.

"We don't have an exit." Michonne said.

"Then we make one!" Daryl said, jumping onto the window and then Tyreese breaking it with a fire extinguisher. "Get down!" He yelled.

Daryl grabbed my hand while Tyreese held my back, as they lifted me up onto the window, and then me jumping out and landing on some platform, and so did the others. We were starting to run, but when Bob jumped, he fell making his bag almost fall of the edge, but with him gripping it so hard. "Shit!" I yelled.

"Bob let it go!" Michonne said.

"C'mon man!" I yelled. They kept struggling with pulling him up, but eventually they pulled him up, causing his bag to slam right next to him, with bottles breaking. We all started at the bag curiously. Daryl walked over to me, and the kneeled down and picked up the bottle of alcohol and looked at Bob, as they stood up.

"You got no meds in your bag?" Daryl asked, with a low voice. I furrowed my eyebrows, and continued to stare at Bob. "Just this?" He asked. "You should've kept walking that day." Daryl was about to throw the bottle of liquor until Bob said, "Don't." With his hand on his gun at his hip. I saw him, and raised my gun up, behind Daryl. "Bob.."

Next thing I saw was Daryl walking up to Bob and putting his face into his, sort of telling him to stand down, and not to mess with him. This went on for a couple of more seconds, as I lowered my gun. Michonne and Tyreese exchanged a look to one another, while I stepped closer to Daryl and Bob.

I saw Daryl take Bob's gun out of his holder and grunting, and then using his forehead to push Bob's down and away. Then, he grabbed his shirt and tugged him.

"Just let it go, Daryl." Tyreese said. "The mans made his choice."

"Yeah, Daryl. Please." I said hoping he would let it go.

"Nothing you could do about it. Just gotta let it go, Daryl." Tyreese said. Daryl let to and then pushed Bob with his chest. "I didn't wanna hurt nobody." Bob silently spoke. It was just for when it gets quiet." Daryl looked at him and shoved the bottle of alcohol into his chest.

"Take one sip. When the meds get into our people, I will beat your ass into the ground." Daryl said. I walked up to Daryl slowly, and stood behind him. "You hear me?" Daryl said aggressively.

"C'mon." I whispered to Daryl, as me and him began to walk away, and towards the van. Minutes later, Daryl whistled signaling for everyone to get into the car and leave. We began to drive off in nothing but silence, leading into the dark of the night.


	12. Chapter 11- Late Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At a late night watch in one of the prison watchtowers, Alex and Daryl share a moment, which makes Alex feel something for him other than annoyance.

I was woken up by someone touching my shoulder gently, a couple of times. I opened my eyes and saw that it was pitch black out, and the cars headlight was shining brightly. I got out of the car, and stood next to Daryl, who I'm guessing woke me up.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Daryl started walking and so did I. "The walkers came through the fence." Daryl responded, I realized that we were back at the prison. I saw Rick and Carl holding guns and a bunch of walkers on the ground, as we approached closer.

"You guys okay?" I asked.

"We'll be fine." Rick sighed. "Carl did good." He said, as he looked at his son, and I saw Carl smiling a little. "We're going to need someone to take watch tonight, Alex will you?"

"Oh um-," I was going to say no and that I was too tired, but I think Rick and Carl needed more sleep than me. "Yeah, sure. No problem, let me get my stuff when I'll be right out." I smiled.

"I'll take watch after her." Daryl said, then walking away with Carl.

"That's fine. Just make sure you wear something to keep you warm, pretty chilly tonight." Rick said.

"Okay, got it," I said, while I headed to go to my cell and grab a better shirt and my water bottle and two guns. "Where's Carol? She's in charge of the water..."

"She's the one." Rick answered.

"The one what?"

"David and Karen. Killed those two. So I had to take her out of here."

"You made her leave?" My eyebrows raised.

"I had to do it for all of us. For me, Carl. Judith. I had to." Rick said.

"Okay."

"You're alright with this?" He asked.

"I don't know. But if you felt like this was the right thing to do, then it was." I answered. "If I had a family," I sighed, "I guess I'd do the same."

"Hey." I heard a deep voice behind me. I looked up behind me, and saw Daryl standing there, with a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth .

"Hey," I smiled tiredly, then yawning. "I just started my watch, you can go get rest." I told him.

"I know." He said, while sitting down next to me, on top of the tower. I was currently dangling my legs off the tower and leaning on the cold metal banister.

"You know," I sighed, "I haven't cried at all. Haven't cried at all since I watched my family die. And I don't even know why I'm talking about this, let alone thinking about this now." It stood quiet between us, until yawned again, then sniffed right after. "Sorry for boring you." I laughed slightly.

"S'alright." Daryl mumbled. "Don't mind listening." I debated in my head whether or not I should tell him about Ryan, but then again, it's not like me and Daryl are in a relationship. I also shouldn't feel obligated to tell him, I guess I felt uneasy.

"I had this best friend, his name was Ryan."

I lied, about him being just a best friend. "He meant so much to me." I continued. "I don't know where he is, he could be dead, a walker or just gone." And that's all I said. I didn't mention we were together or we were going to get married or the big reason we had fights.

My eyes started to keep closing. I didn't want to fall asleep on my watch, so I sat up straight and rubbed my eyes, trying to keep me up. "You can go sleep. I got it from here." Daryl said, putting his cigarette out.

I mumbled something both Daryl and I didn't understand. Oddly, him knowing that I could fall right asleep any second now, "Here." Daryl said. I opened my eyes up sheepishly and saw Daryl backing up onto the wall of tower and motioned me to come towards him. I scooted back and his arm wrapped around my shoulder as I laid my head him.

"Thanks." I said quietly.

"Welcome." Daryl mumbled. "I think I'm starting to like you, Daryl." I mumbled, closing my eyes. "I think I do."


	13. Chapter 12- In That Head of Yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glenn teases Alex about what she's thinking about. This is a start of a new friendship between the two, as they bond. As she has a discussion with some of the council, she finds out about a threat, a man named The Governor. Later, Alex takes that advice she's given and something sparks.

I opened my eyes to see the sun shining down on me, then I closed them again. I slowly got up from where I was awkwardly laying down. I opened my eyes and turned my head around and saw a sleeping Daryl, leaning against the metal wall. I slowly began to stand up, until I fell, like usual, right on top of Daryl.

"Shit!" I yelled, on accident. I saw Daryl open his eyes quickly and held my arm, "Shit, I'm sorry man!"

"It's alright," he mumbled. We both stood up, just standing there. We were both squinting our eyes, while looking out and around the prison fields. "It wouldn't be you if you didn't do this all the time."

"Yeah." I laughed, looking away from him.

"They look like they need help down there." Daryl mumbled, while pointing with his head, over at the fence with two people killing some walkers one by one.

"Yeah." I answered, then looking at Daryl, observing his face. His hair was quite long, brown average color. Couldn't see his eye color because of him squinting so hard, but I bet they're still the same bright blue- making him even more attractive than I thought.

"Stop staring." Daryl snickered, interrupting my thoughts about him, as I smiled. "So you like me?" He asked.

"What?" I looked at him, in confusion.

"Last night," he mumbled. "Before you dozed off, you said you liked me."

"I did not." I laughed. "I did, didn't I?" I said actually remembering that I did admit that last night.

I looked into his eyes then at his lips and back up at his eyes. His eyes were currently staring at my lips, as I was breathing a bit heavier than normal. This was weird, this was nerve-racking for some crazy way. Suddenly, I felt his lips on mine, as I was snapped out of my thoughts yet again, by him.

We both pulled away quickly and stared at each other, not knowing what to do. "I've gotta go." He said.

"Yeah-yeah." I replied, as he quickly left my sight and went down to exit the tower, as I stood there still shocked about the kiss. 

"What's going on?"

"Hm?" I turned to my side and looked at Glenn.

"I said what's going on in that head of yours? You seem distracted today, which is unusual." Glenn said.

"Oh um- I don't know." I answered, really not knowing why. "I guess this is all still new to me. Being around people again for the first time in months and months when I last saw my family. And friends. It scares me. I fear getting close to everyone and they leave." I sighed, "Walking away, or dying." I mumbled.

"Listen," he said, sitting down next to me. "It's okay to feel like that. And if you don't want that feeling, you have to overcome it. Be brave. Try to let go of that feeling." Glenn laughed. "Get close with everyone. We're a family here, cherish that. Better than nothing."

It stood quiet for a little bit, as I processed what he was telling me. He was right and I know I have to overcome my fears.

"Where were you?" He asked.

"When?" I laughed.

"This morning. You weren't at breakfast and or in your cell." He answered.

"I was up in the tower all night and morning."

"You just returned?"

"Yeah." I slightly smiled, remembering what happened this morning between me and Daryl. "Why are you smiling?" he laughs while looking at me.

"No reason." I lied.

"Tell me. C'mon, what's going on?" He nudged me in the shoulder. "It's about Daryl, isn't it?"

"Maybe." I winked- well attempting to wink correctly.

"Alright then." He smiled, while getting up and walking away.

"Where ya going?!" I laughed.

"Gonna go find Maggie!" He answered, as he walked out the cell block to go find his lover. 

"A Governor?" I questioned, furrowing my eyebrows, while waking into the cell overhearing the conversation.

"Theres this guy, calls himself governor." Rick answered.

"He's evil." Michonne added.

"What's his story?" I asked, looking at the three of them.

"He did things to us. All of us. Hurt people, tried to ruin this prison. He wanted this place, wouldn't let it go so he just attacked." Rick explained.

"If he wanted the prison, why'd he attack you guys?" I asked in a confused toned voice.

"Guess he wanted to show his power he has- had." Daryl spoke.

"Where is he now? Should I be scared?"

"We don't know. He just disappeared after he saw that the prison was empty and we were gone. He just wanted to kill is all. We took his people from his town he ran call Woodbury here for safety, cause he already killed a bunch from his army." Michonne said. "I've been looking for him forever. Can't find him at all."

"Is this why you're going out today?" I asked.

"Yeah." She answered.

"Alone?"

"Always had." She said. I smiled lightly, and stared over at the fence where the sun was. "Be careful." Rick said. "Of course." She responded. "See you soon." She smiled at all of us, then walking over to the white truck over by the watchtower. Rick left and went back into the cellblocks to check on Judith and Carl, while Daryl and I were left alone in the bright sun, yet cold fall like air.

"Let's head inside." Daryl spoke, "It's too damn cold this morning." He groaned. I smiled at him and we started to walk back to the cell block.

"Do you think this governor will come here again? Try and mess things up?" I asked, putting my hair behind my ear and then my hands in my jean pockets.

"We don't know- I don't know. I stopped looking a long time ago. Guess that's why Michonne keeps looking." He answered. "You shouldn't be scared you know," he sighed. "You should just be aware. Of this guy if he comes back, even with these walkers." I listened to his deep gruff voice, which weirdly I found attractive out of no where...

"I try not to be." I spoke, after a for seconds of silence. We walked into the cellblock, and walked towards the steel steps and sat down. "What do you think would happen if he would come back?" I asked.

"Don't know. Guess we'd just have to be ready at the time."

"Ready for?..." I asked, hesitating.

"To fight back." 

Later that day, I needed someone to talk to. I saw Glenn outside killing some walkers at the fence, so I decided to go help him and talk about Daryl. Yes, Daryl.

"Hey, what are you doing down here?" Glenn shouted out to me over the groans of the walkers by the fence.

"Came to talk to you." I smiled.

"What's up?" He said, continuing to kill the walkers.

"I uh, um-" I cleared my voice and looked at the current walker he was stabbing in the head. "Me and Daryl... We kissed." I blurted out.

"You what? When? Now?" He asked, dropping the metal skinny pointy and rust bar on the ground. "No, this morning." I raised my eyebrows. "But it was nothing."

"Why didn't you tell me when we talked this morning? Nothing?! It was definitely something since you two kissed!" Glenn exclaimed.

"Yeah, and it lasted about five seconds. And he walked away! It was a little mistake- nothing." I put right hand in my back jeans pocket and looked at Glenn.

"Is that how you feel about it?" Glenn said, picking up the metal tool bar off the ground.

"I don't know," I sighed. "Maybe." I said quietly.

"You should talk to him, talk about how he felt about it."

"I thought he isn't into all that feelings shit..." I said.

"Hey, you never know. Who kissed who?"

"We sorta just- well- he leaned in."

"So if he leaned in, that definitely means he might like you. Therefor, he might actually talk about his feelings. Listen," Glenn stopped killing the walkers and rested. "Daryl has come a long way ever since I knew him. He's more tough, but his feelings for others have gotten soft and protective. Like I said, you never know."

"Thanks, Glenn. I mean it. Everyone else would've probably said 'he'll come around.'" We laughed for a couple of seconds, the Glenn started to kill them again.

"I'll see you later, okay?" I said.

"Yeah, catch you later." Glenn smiled. I started to walk away until Glenn's voice caught my attention. "Hey, he'll come around." I turned around and saw him laughing.

"Funny." I smiled, holding up the middle finger, then walking away again back to the cells to find Daryl. 

I didn't go find Daryl. As soon as I stepped into the prison, I was too nervous to even try to look for him or even see him, and to talk about the kiss we had this morning. Instead, I found myself sitting in the library, with a book in my hand, sitting in a chair.

A couple of kids were in here, as well as Carl keeping watch of them. Beth and Judith were sitting on the ground in the back, with Beth reading some little folk tale that I could over hear. Judith's little giggles and noises made me smile- which made me think about Ryan, and the past...

"You don't want to have kids, but you want to get married?!" I yelled at him.

"Listen, Alexandra. They're too different things!" Ryan yelled back at me, using my full correct first name, which when he would used when he was mad.

"Okay- so let's say after we got married, then what? Grow old together with nothing else?!" I yelled again.

"Yeah! That's always been the plan with you! You said it yourself!"

"Yeah, when I was 19! I was a teenager! I was obviously not ready. People's minds change and mine happened to change along time ago." I said, calming my voice at the last sentence, not wanting to scream anymore. "I just want that with you. Our own child. I just don't understand, when we babysit my sisters baby you're fine with it."

"Because it's not ours and I didn't say I didn't like kids- I just don't want any." Ryan spoke calmly back to me. I looked up at him, who was standing against the wall by the kitchen and dining room.

"You don't want any with me? Is that it?"

"I never said that! Stop putting words in my mouth and twisting them!" He yelled.

"Well excuse me! That's the only reason why I would think that! You're so great around kids, yet you never even tried with me. Never ever had the discussion about it either! I should've know a long time ago!"

"I should've known when you changed your mind about it, so I would've-"He yelled again, but stopped in the middle of his sentence.

"So you would've what, Ry? Leave me? Find some girl who would agree with anything you would want?" I asked. He stood quiet, knowing I was right. He would've left me along time ago if he knew that I did want kids. "So much for loving me no matter what." I muttered. I started to tear up and I put my head into my hands resting them on my knee.

"Shit. Alex, I'm sorry. And hey," I felt him sit next to me down on the couch, feeling myself sunk down into the couch little. "I love you, and I always will. But I stand by what I say-"

"So you won't have kids, and you would have left me. And standing by what you say, you're going to leave me, aren't you?" I stood up.

"Lex-"

"No, it's okay." I lied. "Whatever." I said, walking away leaving him there, and making my way into the bedroom and slamming the door shut, so I could cry and sulk in peace. 

I was interrupted with my little flashback, with the presence of someone in front of me. I opened up my eyes and saw Daryl looking at me.

"Hey," I smiled slightly. "What's up?"

"Glenn told me you were looking for me, so, here I am." He spoke and I cursed in my head, being a little mad at Glenn.

"Oh um- yeah... Can we walk?" I asked.

"Sure." I admired his deep voice every time I'd hear it. When I stood up, I saw that he'd been staring at me ever since I was sitting down. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Oh uh- I um.." I didn't know what to say, so I lied. "I wanted you to help me out with shooting. We never got a chance too." That was true, but that wasn't, of course, what I was going to say or ask.

"Lets get to it, then." He said.

"Okay. Breathe in, hold it. Then release when pulling the trigger. Aim for your target." Daryl spoke. I nodded softly, and aimed for my target, which was a plastic bottle. I shot at it the first try, which made me happy. I lowered my gun and turned to Daryl and smiled.

"You're a natural." Daryl said, smirking.

"Looks like it."

"Again. You need to keep on, or out there, you'll lose that ability." He mumbled.

"Alright." I aimed at the next target. I heard his voice in my mind telling me exactly what to do. I shot the target, then the next three. The last one I did it without hesitation, causing me to miss the target completely.

"You're tense. Do what I told you." Daryl spoke. I turned my head to see him standing and looking straight at me.

"Thanks for just now. I needed to practice and-"

"C'mon," Daryl's deep voice cut me off. "You know this ain't the reason you wanted to talk to me."

"Oh?" I smirked. "So tell me, what is?"

"I think it has to do with something with early this morning." He mumbled.

"Oh.. That." I turned my body around and saw that Daryl had come up closer to me. "I just uh- I wanted to say that I'm sorry about that-" I got cut off with Daryl leaning towards me and holding my wrists and kisses me on the lips, quickly.

Our lips parted and I looked into his eyes. I kissed him back, causing him to back away softly. "Eager?" He smirked. "I'm not sorry." I laughed.

"Neither am I."


	14. Chapter 13- Too Far Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The threat arrives, and tears everyone apart in new directions.

Stepping outside of the prison, the sun had immediately shined in my face when I walked out of the shade. I felt the need for fresh air and some vitamin d, especially since there wasn't any vitamins around to take.

Was Michonne and Herschel still gone? I looked towards the fence and whoever was on watch at the tower. No sight of them anywhere. I was sure they'll be back soon, if not, I would definitely go out there and find them. I walked back inside the prison after spending a few minutes in the sun. I passed by some people on the way, smiling and saying hi.

"Man, you couldn't have waited till we got back?!" I heard Daryl's deep voice trying to whisper as I enter the cell block.

"Until Tyreese got back?" I then heard Rick's voice talk back. This had to be about Carol.

"I could've handled that." Daryl spoke.

"Hey, hey. She killed two of our own. She couldn't be here! She's gonna be alright. She has a car. Supplies, weapons and stuff. She's a survivor."

"Stop saying that like you don't believe it!" I heard Daryl shout. I made my way towards the bottom of the stairs, and went up two steps.

"She did it. She said it was for us." Rick spoke. "That's how it was in her head. She wasn't sorry."

"Man, that's her, but that ain't her." Daryl said. "What are we supposed to do about those two girls?" Daryl asked. I made my way to the top and Rick saw me, but Daryl hadn't yet.

"I'll watch them." I broke the silence. Daryl turned around and looked at me. "And it's true. Carol did it for us." I said.

"You knew about this?" Daryl said with anger in his voice. "Unbelievable."

"I told her we'd look after them." Rick said. I looked at Daryl and saw him filled with sadness and anger. I was upset for him, so I figured I could try to comfort him. I made my way over to him and stood on his right, while he leaned over the metal bar.

"I haven't told Tyreese yet." Rick said.

"What?" I said, my eyes opening wide and Daryl's head shooting up, but still looking forward. "I don't know how he's gonna take it." Rick admitted. Daryl started walking towards Rick,

"Let's go find out." Daryl said, leading the way.

"Daryl..." I said. He continued to walk and go down the stairs without stopping. "Rick?" I pleaded, hoping that he, someone close to Daryl, could help him find comfort and not be so upset.

"I'll handle it." He said.

"Okay then. Tell him I'll be outside." I said, still standing there.

"Of course." Rick said, leaving me alone on top of the steel steps.

Back outside the prison in the courtyard, I spotted Maggie. "How's Glenn?"

"Hey Lex. He's fine, thank god he didn't get that infection. I don't know what I would've done."

"You would've handled it well." I smiled and then so did she.

"So, Glenn has told me all about you and Daryl," she laughed. "What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on." I spoke. Our laughter got cut short after we heard a big explosion go on just near us. We ran towards the fence as fast as we could and saw that a big army like crowd had been right at our gates with a tank and a bunch of cars and people with guns. I noticed Carl standing next to me and I gave him a concerned look after observing the burnt down watch tower.

I turned around hearing boots running towards me and Maggie, and Carl snide he's been standing next to us. I saw Rick running out with his gun, along side Daryl and Tyreese and others running. "Get back!" He yelled at us.

"Alex!" Daryl came running up to me then slowing down and standing next to me, looking out at the army of people. "Who is that?" I said.

"That's him. The governor." He said.

"Rick!" The guy yelled. "Come down here! We need to talk!"

"It's not up to me!" Rick yelled. "There's a council now! They run this place."

"Is Hershel on the council?" The guy asked. "What about Michonne? She on the council too?" I looked at Daryl with a worried face, and he took my hand. I turned to Maggie and saw Beth standing next to me, with wide eyes filled with worth for their father and breathing heavy.

"I don't make decisions anymore!" Rick yelled. We all had seen Hershel and Michonne knelt down on the ground, guarded by two people with guns.

"You're making decisions today, Rick." The governor said. "Come down here. Let's have that talk." I didn't know much about this guy, but I did know he is bad and can't be trusted. I saw Rick look at Daryl, who shook his head as an okay sign. Rick turned to look at Carl who shook his head after his dad say that we could do this.

Rick made his way out of the fence, and went to walk down to where the army were holding up. I squeezed Daryl's hand and he squeezed back in assurance, then let's go abruptly.

"We can't take em all on." He whispered to us. "We'll go through the admin building, through the woods like we planned."

"What plan?" I asked.

"You'll know what to do." Sasha said. "Just stay focused, we have got to stick together."

"Alright then," I nod my head. "I guess I'm going with the flow?"

Sasha laughs lightly, but her face is determined.

"We ain't got the numbers no more. When's the last time someone checked the stash on the bus?" Daryl asked.

"Day before we hit the big spot. We were running low on rations then. We're lower now." She says.

"Yeah, we'll manage. Things go south, everyone heads for the bus, let everyone know." Rick said to Tyreese.

"What if everybody doesn't know when things go bad?" He responded to Daryl. "How long do we wait?"

"As long as we can." Daryl walked away, and I turned my body back around looking at the people and Rick slowly just getting there. The only thing we pretty much heard from Rick was to let them go right now. No one shouted or yelled and I wished I was able to hear what they were saying.

I saw Daryl coming up to Bob, Beth, Maggie and me and the rest of us slowly and quietly. A couple of seconds later, I felt a object against my back. I looked over my shoulder and saw Daryl with a long black gun for me. "Thanks." I whispered.

"Beth-" I tapped her arm to get her attention. Her eyes were glossy and she still looked as worried as before. "Every things gonna be okay." I said, hoping that it would actually be okay. She nodded and quickly went back to staring at Hershel and Michonne.

"We've gotta do something."

"Your dad's got it." Daryl responded.

"They're talking. We could the governor right now."

"From 50 yards?" I asked Carl. "You're gonna try that?"

"I'm a good shot." Carl said. "I could end this right now."

"Yeah, or ya could star something else." Daryl mumbled. "You gotta trust him."

Rick was still talking to the governor, still no shouting or anything bad, except for the three gun shots coming from the governor killing walkers.

The governor eventually angrily stormed off the tank and walked over to Hershel with Michonne's sword in his hands. We all went closer to the fence and gasped as soon as we saw the governor holding Michonne's sword to his neck.

"Oh my god." I said. I was worried- I was more than worried. I was terrified that we'd lose Hershel- and Michonne, as well as the prison.

"Is this what any of you want?!" Rick yelled.

After that silence is all we could hear, except our heavy breathing and Beth's cries.

"Daryl, I'm not ready for this. For a fight, to fight." I whispered, lowering my gun and looking at him. He did the same and turned to me.

"Hey, you can do this. I know we haven't practiced as much, but you can do this. You have to."

"What if I freeze up like I did in cellblock D.."

"You do that, you come and follow me. I'll keep you safe." Daryl spoke, we looked in each others eyes for clarity and hope. Then, we turned back to pay attention quickly to the governor and Rick. We saw the governor lower the sword, and I sighed in relief. 'Everything's okay'. I thought.

And I thought wrong. Suddenly Rick Yelled, and we had seen the governor that Hershel's head off.

"No!" Maggie yelled, as Beth started to cry, yell and mumble words.

I heard Rick scream, and suddenly fire his gun. As soon as he did, I turned to Daryl and he nodded. We all started shooting towards the governor and his army of people.

"Daddy!" Beth screamed, still clinging onto the gate and not shooting. The gun shots were loud, nothing like I've heard before.

"You can do this, Lex. Just like I taught you." Daryl said while shooting towards the people. I breathed in and continued to fire my gun.

Suddenly, the tank that they had came knocking over out fences. I followed Daryl towards mor coverage behind some wood and the fence.

"Daryl! They're getting closer!" I panicked. I saw Rick attack the governor as her approached the broken down bus where Rick was.

I was pushed into the gate by Daryl, saving me from being shot to death. He took cover and shot at two guys near the tank.

"Daryl!" I saw two walkers coming our way.

I took my knife out of my pocket, and as soon as I did that, one if the walkers grabbed Daryl. I stabbed one in the head and then the other.

"Where are you going?!" I yelled. He used one of the walkers as a shield to get closer to the two guys shooting at us. I saw him take out a grenade and threw it towards them, killing them in the explosion.

Daryl ran towards me, to make sure I was okay. "Listen to me, I'll be right back. Just go find Carl and Judith, make sure you three get on that bus-"

"Daryl, I'm not leaving your side. I can't be alone right now." I panicked. Daryl grabbed my wrists and pulled me. "Yes you are. I'll find you, I will, okay?"

I nod, and look back into his eyes. I jumped at the moment and pushed our lips together giving a quick kiss, then letting I'm go. His forehead pushes up against mine.

"I'll find you."

I nodded and saw him running towards the tank. I killed a couple of walkers behind me that were getting way to close.

I saw Carl walking alone, and still shooting at some people and walkers. "Carl!" Carl came running towards me.

"Where's my dad?"

"I don't know. I think he's out on the field."

"Let's go then!" I saw Carl running towards the gates and I followed him. We saw two walkers and we killed them with out guns. We saw Rick beaten up and damaged.

"Carl!" Carl went running up to his dad, and hugged him.

"Judith! Where is she?" He asked Carl. He just shook his head in response and turned to me.

"I haven't seen anyone with her, I don't- Daryl left me. I haven't seen anyone else." I said. We began helping Rick walk, as we try to make It out. As soon as we turned around the corner from the tank, Carl and Rick stopped. I looked back and saw that Judith's car seat was on the ground. We rushed towards it, only to see that it was empty and bloody. Rick and Carl had started to cry.

Carl began shooting walkers that had made their way to us. He had no more bullets left, but he kept on trying to shoot. "Carl!" Rick yelled, and started to hold onto him, as Carl started to cry and mumble words.

"Guys, we have to go." I said. "We have to."

"It's over. It's over." Rick said. We walked away from the prison, and made our way through the trees and away from the prison. Carl was helping Rick walk, while I was behind them.

"Don't look back,"Rick said. "Don't look back Carl. Just keep walking."


	15. Chapter 14- Without You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Alex, Rick and Carl are together, they set on finding a place to stay so Rick gets better. After days, someone shows up. Although filled with fear and no hope left of starting new again, the certain someone that shows up gives Alex just a tiny bit of hope inside her.

I've never felt comfortable in fear. Especially today. It's just the only place I can confide in these days, with everything going wrong. The prison was gone, everyone was. We've lost each other within seconds, all because of that governor who broke down our walls. And now, it was just us three. I didn't know where Daryl had gone, I was just hoping he was okay and made it out of the prison alive and in time. Maybe, just maybe, we'll find each other again.

The road we were walking on, led us away from prison. We had walked away from the front, never turning back. Rick didn't want his son to look at everything had fallen, and slowly but surely, Rick knew he was going to crumble just like the prison, but I know he wanted Carl to be here for him.

"Carl," Rick spoke. "Slow down." I turned to Rick to see him very tired. "Carl, stop! We need to stay together." He said. "We got to find a place with food, supplies." Rick and I caught up to Carl, and stood in the middle of the road and trees surrounding us. My arm wrapped around his waist, tying to keep him up and from falling.

"Hey," He said, placing a hand on his son. "We're gonna be..." Carl's eyes looked at his fathers, then away, possibly filled with hatred. Instead of giving a response, he just walked in front of us again.

"Give him some time." I said. Rick turned to me and looked. "C'mon." I gave out my hand to Rick and had him lean on my shoulder so I could help him move faster, to be at same pace as Carl. 

Rick swung open the abandoned biker bar door, while Carl had his gun out, ready to sweep the place. The broken down motorcycles out front had reminded me of Daryl and the times he fixed his bike outside the prison.

"Wait outside, okay?" Rick spoke. "Keep watch."

"You keep watch." Carl said fiercely at his dad.

"Carl." I furrowed my eyebrows and looked down at him.

"No. He can barely stand." He responded. "I'm not gonna let you go in there alone."

"I'm here too, Carl. He won't be alone." I said.

"Excuse me?" Rick ignored what I had said.

"We've done this before." He told his dad. "I'm gonna help you clear it. You should just let me clear it myself." He mumbled.

"I'll stay out and watch then." I said, walking towards the bikes and look out, as I heard the door open, leaving the father and son to bicker at each other. 

Soon enough, they came out of the bar with one bag filled with unknown items. I took the bag from Rick and carried it myself, while Carl walked ahead already. Can't he just slow down? "Hey." Rick said to Carl, but he kept on walking. It's like Rick read my mind.

"Hey. Hey. That one's as good as any." Rick said, as we stopped in front of a white house. I walked up to the door and opened it up harshly. I pointed my gun into the house and walked slowly. "Carl."

"I got it." Carl said.

"I'll go with him." I told Rick.

"All the doors down here are open." Carl said. I sighed and looked at Rick.

"Just stop!" Rick said. Carl lowered his gun and turned around looking at his father.

"Hey asshole!" Carl said, pounding on the wall beside him. "Hey shitface!" He pounded again. "Hey, you-"

"Watch your mouth!" Rick yelled.

"Are you kidding me?" Carl said filled with anger. "If there's one of them up there, they would have come out." Rick stood silent and dark walked away and headed upstairs. I looked at Rick.

"Should I?"

"No. Just let him go." Rick said.

"I'll be over there then." I said, exiting the room and going to the kitchen. I bent down and picked up a half filled water bottle and put it on the table. I turned around and Rick was standing there. "Shit. You scared me."

"Sorry." Rick spoke.

"It's fine." I said, walking to the cabinets. I heard Rick looking the draws and metal things clashing together. "Find anything?"

"Just some knifes. Regular kitchen appliances." He answered.

"I'll be back." I told Rick, and walking upstairs to find Carl. The moment I got upstairs, a bedroom door was open. Peering in, I saw Carl by the window, his face hidden from my view.

"Like what you see?" I smiled while walking into the room.

"It's cool. Books, games." He answered with a little smile. "Comics."

"See, where's that attitude at?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," I sighed. "Why can't you respect your father? He's done everything he could to protect you." Carl ignored me and kept looking around at the ground at everything he's found. "Hey kid?"

"Yeah?" He mumbled.

"Never mind. I'll be downstairs. So will your father." I left Carl in that room where he seemed to be calm. Maybe it's better for him to be alone right now, I thought. 

Later in the day, I had noticed noise at the front of the house. That noise came from Carl, who was tying the front door shut with a black wire. "Smart kid." I said to Rick, and he just nodded, as we sat on the couch facing the front door. Rick tried getting up, but I pleaded for him to not move alone. "Let me help you."

We walk behind the couch, following Rick's movements. "The couch." He nodded to the door.

He tried moving the couch on his own, before I answered him. My hands gripped the back side and began pushing with him. The couch slammed into the door, making Carl move out the way.

"I tied the door shut." Carl said with attitude.

"Carl..." I said.

"We don't need to take any chances." Rick said.

"You don't think it'll hold?"

"Carl." Rick warned.

"It's a strong knot." Carl defended himself. "Clove hitch. Shane taught me. Remember him?" I looked confused and just decided to walk away and sat on the empty couch across from the one we pushed towards the door.

"Yeah I remember him." Rick said. "I remember him everyday. There something else you want to say to me?" Rick said. Carl ignored him and pushed the couch further towards the door, as if that wasn't possible before.

"Rick?" I heard him wheezing and out of breath.

"This'll have to do for the night." He said, sitting down. I heard Rick and Carl bickering over the food, as I slowly and slowly drifted into sleep.

I slowly woke, confused when I heard Carl yell and say some things, to I'm guessing Rick. I laid there staring at the ceiling, wondering how long I had been sleeping for.

"I don't need you anymore." He spoke. "I don't need you to protect me anymore. I can take care of myself! You probably can't even protect me anyways. You couldn't protect Judith! You couldn't protect-" I heard him stop talking. "Hershel or Glenn. Or Maggie. Michonne, Daryl-"

My heart stopped at Daryl's name. I need him here, I thought. I didn't want to interrupt them, so I kept quiet. I also didn't want to listen, but I wasn't a fast sleeper.

"Or mom." Carl finished naming people. "You just wanted to plant vegetables. You just wanted to hide! He knew where we were and you didn't care!" He screamed. I sat up quickly and looked at Carl standing over his unconscious father laying down. "You just hid behind those fences, and waited for... They're all gone now. Because of you!"

"They counted on you!" He continued.

"You were their leader! But now," he sniffed. "You're nothing." He sniffed a couple more. "I'd be fine if you died."

"I'll be back." Carl said.

A dream of mine had jolted me awake. It was Ryan. I sat up and remembered a day in the summer with our friends and family barbecuing. My best friend Vanessa and I would try not to get drunk, but we'd always end up doing that anyways, which made Ryan to both carry us and leave us in the house to sleep it off.

"You okay?" I asked Carl, who I saw had also awoke.

"Yeah." He answered. "Dad?" We heard Rick groan and begin raspy breathing. Carl freaked out and slid across the floor towards me. He backed up into my legs and began panicking. Carl began breathing heavily and trying to get his gun and raised it towards his father.

Carl began to cry a little bit, so I held him against me. As soon and Rick fell into the ground, Carl jumped and began crying even more, as Rick reached out and groaned some more. Carl gave up and dropped the gun and laid his head on my legs and cried. "Carl..." I said with sadness in my voice.

"I can't." He said. "I was wrong. Just do it."

"Carl!" I said, panicking that he would want to turn and let his father do it.

"Carl." We heard a whisper. Our heads snapped to Rick.

"Carl- don't go outside." Rick had said. "Stay safe."

"I'm scared." Carl had said, holding his father, and crying. "I'm scared."

We stood inside the house for most of he day, making sure we were all safe and that Rick could continue to rest his body. I didn't know how long Rick's body would heal, but I didn't know that the less we walk, the less we struggle, the more Rick would get better. We needed him to get better, so we can go back into the world, survive and hopefully find our people again. I wanted go find Daryl again. Glenn. Maggie. Everyone.

"Going out there like that. It's dangerous." Rick told Carl.

"I was careful." Carl said. I smiled at his little defensive remark.

"You let him go?" Rick asked me.

"I didn't. I tried to make him stay..."

"Well, it's good that you found more food." Rick said.

"I found even more." Carl spoke. "But I ate it..." He admitted.

"What was it?" Rick asked.

"112 ounces of pudding." Carl smiled, as me and Rick laughed.

"I know... We'll never get things back to the way they used to be."

"What?" Carl asked.

"I only clung to that for you." Rick continued. For Judith. Now she's gone. And you, you're a man, Carl. You're a man. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be." Carl said.

"Guys- sorry to break up this moment, but I hear something outside." I stood to my feet and brought my gun with me. We all turned our heads quickly at the door, as soon as we heard a knock.

My gun pointed to the door, and Rick stood up onto the couch and looked through the peephole, and sat back down. "Who is it? Rick?" I whispered. He turned to Carl and sat down with a smile.

"Well?" Carl asked.

"It's for you." Rick said to his son, a smile appeared on his face. 

Michonne. That's who it was. We found someone, well that someone found us. We just got even lucky that we found someone from the prison. It was like the universe telling us that we would be okay again. Michonne spent her time with Carl in the kitchen eating, while I sat on the couch thinking about what it would be like if everyone was here. Together.

"He could be dead, Rick." I said, sitting at the houses' messy kitchen table, with my hands in my hair.

"C'mon, we know him. He's tough, he can handle himself." Rick said.

"What if he couldn't? What if I never see him again? What if we never see him again? And Glenn too-"

"Carl said the same thing about Michonne." Rick walked over to me and sat beside me at the table. "We'll find our ways back to each other. All of us. It just- may take some time."

"What if it doesn't, huh? Then what?"

"Don't think negative, Alex."

"How can I not? Look around Rick, this world has gone to shit! We lost everyone and we can't find them! You're daughter could be out there and-" I sighed. My hands ran over my face and I looked up at Rick. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." He said sadly.

"Feeling okay?" I asked Rick.

"Yeah, better than before. I'll survive." He answered.

"We all can." I smiled. "Clearly." I saw Michonne enter the kitchen, then smile at us. "Glad I found you three." She said. I smiled back at her and then at Rick.

"Thank you. I heard him laughing in there." Rick said to Michonne. "Almost forgot what that sounded like. I can't be his father and his best friend. He needs you. Both of you." He said.

"I know that's a lot to throw at you two... So if you're ever feeling like you need a break..." Rick continued.

"I'm done taking breaks." Michonne said. "So what's the plan? This place, is it home... Or just a stop along the way?" She asked.

"It feels like a stop along the way, but to nowhere." I admitted.

"Well let's, lets just stay here till we figure it out." Rick answered.

"Well, we'll need more supplies. I'll go with Carl and get some." Michonne said.

"I could go." I said.

"You sure?" Michonne asked.

I nodded my head no. "You know what, go. Take Carl. You should spend time together." I smiled. "At least someone found someone they needed." I mumbled with a smile on my face.

"You okay?" Michonne asked, rubbing my arm.

"I'll handle it." Rick said. Michonne nodded and gave me a sympathetic look. Rick and Michonne walked out the kitchen, and went to the door. I followed sand stood in the doorway watching them walk out on the porch of the house.

"Alright. I'll see you in a couple of hours." Rick said, waving them off.

"Be safe!" I said to them.

"We'll try to be." Michonne said, letting out a breathy laugh.

Rick and I walked in side and headed back to the kitchen together. "They'll be fine, Rick." I said, seeing a worried look on his face.

"I don't think I will." He answered.

"You should be able to be fine one day. Go rest." I said.

"I think I'll just do that then." He laughed slightly, wincing at pain. "But, are you okay?" Rick asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I was." I sighed, "Listen, I know back at the prison I wasn't there for a long time, but I uh, I could tell that you guys were a family, all of you. I don't know what everyone thought of me, especially Daryl, but I just wanted you to know, I have your back. Michonnne and Carl's too. And everyone one else, once we find them."

Rick smiled. "This is why we welcomed you that day. You didn't know us, but you were hopeful that we'd make a right decision."

"Even Daryl." I laughed.

"Even him."

"Wait- do you hear that?!" I whispered. I peaked out the window and saw a bunch of guys walking up to the porch. "Look!" I whispered to Rick. Rick came close, looked and quickly back up.

"Go! Go upstairs." He whispered. "Let's go."

"Where do we hide?!" I whispered to Rick, as we reached the second floor of the house.

"In there, in there ." Rick spoke, heading into a bedroom and closed the door. "What now?" I asked.

"Go, under the bed." Rick said.

"How about you?" I asked. He hesitated and didn't know what to do. We heard footsteps coming up the stairs and towards the door. "Just- just get under here! Hurry." Rick slid on the floor and laid right next to me. The door swung open, and our breaths slowed down and tried to be as quiet as we could. 

Your watch I mouthed to Rick. He took his watch off and stopped the ticking noise. Muffled voices could be heard from downstairs and boots could be heard walking to the bed and carefully checking the room out. The boots came closer to the bed and I squeezed Rick's side of his hand and shut my eyes tightly. A body landed on the bed and our heads went to the floor. Dammit, I thought.

"No, I'm sorry!" A guy claimed.

"You're a lying coward." Another mans voice said. "That's all you'll ever be."

"No, please, I'm sorry! Don't do this please."

"What the hell'd you say to me?" The muffled voice said.

"I said don't this." A guy spoke.

"This ain't your business."

I turned to Rick who was carefully listening to the voices. "No please! No!" We heard a loud scream and a big thud on the wood floor. Men were laughing and some where walking around, from what I could hear. The guy on the bed got up and left, then came back again. We waited until another guy came into the room. "This is my room! I claimed it."

"Hell no. It's mine." They argued for more minutes and I tried not to breath heavy. Suddenly, a guy dropped to the floor and was chocked out. Rick and I hoped that the guy was dead so he wouldn't see us and tell. The guy got up again and left the room. "We need to leave. Warn Carl and Michonne." Rick whispered.

"We can't, there's so many people."

"Let's try and make this quick, c'mon. Quietly." Rick answered. We slowly moved from under the bed together, in one direction. We stood up and looked around. "Get your ass down here!" A voice said. We made our way out in the hall and carefully looked over the banister. We quickly went into a room and shut the door. Rick had his ear pressed against the door facing the wall.

"Uh, Rick..." I said, as soon as I saw the heavy bald guy on the toilet. Rick turned around and grabbed the first thing he could see and kicked him in the stomach, then hit him with the unknown object. I carefully opened the window- well, I tried too. It was just too damn stuck. They began wresting each other and suddenly Rick started choking him with something black, until he passed out on the ground of the bathroom.

"C'mon! We gotta go, Rick!"

We made our way out the window and carefully tried not to fall off the roof. We walked around and tried not to get seen from the windows. We carefully jumped down, trying to land softly to the ground. As soon as we did, I ran ahead of Rick and around the house. I tried running faster, until Rick had stopped me. He must've saw the guy come out the house before I even did.

I saw Carl and Michonne from afar, and tapped Rick and pointed, then he nodded. Rick was ready to run, so was I, until we heard screaming and the guy mumbling something and walking back into the house. We started to run towards Carl and Michonne, getting away as fast as we could. "Go! Go!" Rick said, as we all ran together away from the house.


	16. Chapter 15- The Road Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four of them find a sign of hope, and they set on a new road for that place.

We walked across the train tracks, following wherever it was taking us. It was cold out, and I didn't have a jacket. All I had was my long sleeves, long jeans, boots and my knife. Trees were moving, birds were chirping and the breeze moved harshly every now and then. We eventually came to a stop when Rick walked off the tracks and stared at a big, wooden board that was attached to an abandoned train cart.

Sanctuary For All Community For All Those Who Arrive Survive

"There's a map." Rick says, his hands resting on his waist as he observed it.

"What do you think?" Michonne asks, walking to his side.

"Let's go." He said, turning around

"A while back... when we were at the prison. On a run, Daryl turned the radio on. We heard a voice, a woman talking about a place." I say.

"I remember that." Michonne speaks. "It must've been about this place."

"So that settles it. We go." 

"I think we got about a day's worth of water left." Rick said, as we continued walking on the rail road, leading us to terminus. "We're lucky it's cooled off a little bit, but..." I was walking behind Rick, looking at the rocks while walking until I bumped into Rick and looked up.

"Sorry." I laughed, as Rick shakes his head smiling as he turns to look at me. 

"What are you doing?" Rick asked, looking behind me. I turned and saw Carl and Michonne balancing on the metal railroad track and laughing, enjoying this walk.

"Winning a bet." Carl chuckled.

"In your dreams." Michonne said. Rick and I laughed and continued to watch them.

"I'm still on it!" Carl said to Michonne.

Michonne laughed, "You spoke too soon, wise guy." Carl began to lose his balance but caught it and regained it.

"This might go on a while." Rick said, walking towards them. "Maybe we can speed this up." Rick added.

"Rick, one of them is eventually going to lose. Leave them be."

"Shouldn't be fooling around. We should probably- Carl!" Michonne surprised Carl, but instead making him fall off, she did.

"I win." Carl said. "Pay up." I smiled at Carl and then at Rick. Michonne went into her bag and took out to Candy bars. "Is that really the last Big Cat?" Carl asked.

"Oh c'mon!" Michonne said, wincing at Carl taking the last Big Cat out of her hands, leaving her with another candy bar.

"Hey, but you said winners choice." Carl whined.

"Go ahead, take it. It's yours." Michonne gave up before trying. I laughed and Rick smiled. "You won it, fair and square." Michonne sighed.

"C'mon, we always share." Carl said, giving half of the Candy bar to Michonne. Rick and I picked up the pace, walking along the tracks, side by side.

"He's a sweet kid." I told Rick.

"Yeah, he is." Rick smiled.

"You doing okay?"

"Much better than days ago. Thank you." He answered.

"No problem." I said. There was silence between us and more laughter from Carl and Michonne. "Do you think they'll be there? Daryl and Glenn. Everyone." I asked Rick, wondering if the people at the prison saw the terminus sign, and if they even got out.

"They could." Rick responded. "Maybe."

"We just gotta hope, right?"

Rick turned his head to me, but still walked. "Hope is all we can do, right now. Even if it does take a long time, we just need to hope."


	17. Chapter 16- Still Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While taking a break on the side of the road to rest, the group finds themselves with some trouble of vicious trouble.

The wind was picking up day by day, making us cold as we walked throughout the woods. Luckily, I had found myself a jacket in some broken down car along the side of the road. If I wouldn't have found it, I would've been complaining to the point where I would've have been able to keep walking, due to the weather. We've been walking for far too long, We stopped along the woods and got some rest, before making our way back to the main road and walking.

"How hungry are you from scale of one to ten?" Rick asked Carl.

"Fifteen." Carl chuckled.

"Twenty eight." Michonne said looking at Rick.

"Fifty." I said. I looked up and saw them staring at me. " I'm pretty sure we all top the scale."

"Yeah well, it's been a while." Rick sighed. "I'm gonna go check the snares.

"Can I go with you?" Carl asked.

"Sure." Rick said. "How else are ya gonna learn? Hey, you two as well." Rick smiled. Michonne and I put out the fire and began following Rick and Carl to the snare.

"We'll stay another day or two. Get some more rest." Rick said, while walking.

"Finish healing up?" Michonne asked.

"I'm almost there." Rick said.

"Well, anyways you look better than before." I spoke.

"We're close now, right?" Carl asked.

"To terminus? We are." Rick said, turning his head to all three of us.

"When we get there, are we gonna tell them?" Carl asked.

"Tell them what?" I asked.

"Everything that's happened to us. All the stuff we've done." Carl explained. "Are we gonna tell them the truth or?"

"We're gonna tell them who we are." Rick said.

"But how do you say that? I mean- who are we?" We stopped walking after we heard a walker heading our way. Everyone took out their weapons and so did I.

"I got this one." I said, walking from behind them with my knife.

"You sure?" Rick asked. I walked up to the walker and stabbed it in the head, causing it to fall down with my knife in its head. I kneeled down and roughly took the knife out of his head, and turned around.

"I'm positive." I smiled, as Rick let out a slight laugh.

"Now, you see how the ground here is sorta like a funnel shape?" Rick explained, as we walked to the snare.

"It's a trail?" Carl asked.

"That's right." Rick said. "That's where you want to set the noose. So you hide it with leaves then you out sticks all around it, so any animal going by has to run this way, right into the trap." Rick showed us.

"Cool." I smiled. "Never thought I'd learn this ever in my life-"

"Help!" A voice screamed from not that far. I got up quickly and looked at Rick when Carl went off running, and all of us chased after him. "Carl! Stop!" Rick yelled.

"Get back! Help!" The voice screamed again. We ran and ran until we reached Carl who held his gun up. Rick pulled him back, causing me to trip backwards but not fall. "No!" The guy screamed. We watched as the guy got attacked by a bunch of walkers in an open field. "What are we doing?" I whispered to Rick. I was curious about why we weren't helping, and why we couldn't.

"We can't help him." Rick said, as we hood behind some trees.

"We've gotta go." Michonne said, as soon as some walkers started to notice us.

We ended up back on the train tracks, attempting to get away from the walkers behind us. Unfortunately, there was a couple of walkers in front of us, eating something unknown to us. Rick and I both ran up to the walkers ahead of us and killed them, causing us to get blood on our front jackets and shirts.

Carl had eventually spotted a broken down truck on the side of the road earlier in the day and that's when we decided to take some rest from running and walking so long. We sat by the low flame fire next go the truck, while Carl was sleeping, or trying to.

"That was one small rabbit." Rick spoke quietly.

"It was." I said. "I don't think I'll ever get used to eating so little."

"It was something." Michonne said. "Gotta hand it to the thing. It traveled well." We laughed softly and what she said.

"Have you noticed? That's all we talk about anymore? Food. I forgot what this feels like." Rick said.

"I hope were able to forget soon." Michonne said.

"Yeah, me too." I said. "But for now, I'm turning myself in. I'm tired, hopefully I get some sleep." I heard them laugh, as I stood up and wiped my pants and shirt off and her Rick talk.

"We're close. Just got to make it through another day. If folks there are taking people in, they have to be strong. They have to have a system." Right as Rick said that, I turned around once we all heard some branches snap behind us.

Suddenly, I felt a guys hand around my waist and neck, with a knife against it. I saw Rick who had a gun to his head, as well as Michonne. "Oh, dearie me." The guy said behind Rick. I was thinking about Carl, and hopefully they didn't know he was in the truck.

"You screwed up asshole." I saw two guys come out from the trees across from me. "You hear me? You screwed up!" He yelled. I thought wrong. I heard the truck door open and heard Carl struggling.

"Today's the day of reckoning, sir. Restitution!" He spoke again. I tried to get out of this guys threatening arms, but held on tight and put the knife on my neck even more.

"Shit, and I was thinking of turning in for the night on New Year's Eve." He laughed. "Now who's gonna count down the ball dropper with me, huh? Ten Mississippi. Nine Mississippi. Eight Mississippi-"

"Joe!" I looked at Rick and saw his and Michonne's head turn towards the voice. I noticed the voice. I didn't want to believe it, but I did. A shadow came out of the darkness near the two guys across from me and revealed him self to us.

"Daryl!" I said, my voice eager and filled with shock as I watch him approach the group. The guy had his hand wrapped around my throat, tightening it by the second. "Shut up!" The guy said.

"Hold up!" Daryl said, staring at all three of us in disbelief.

"You're stopping me on eight, Daryl." The guy Joe said. Daryl walked closer to the three off us, and looked at us then at Rick.

"Just hold up..."

"This is the guy that killed Lou, so we got nothin to talk about." A man behind Daryl said, walking next to him.

"The thing about nowadays we ain't got time. Say your peace, Daryl."

"These people... You're gonna let them go. These are good people." Daryl said, raising his hands.

"Now... I think Lou would disagree with you on that. I'll have to speak for him and all. Him right here, strangled him in a bathroom."

"You want blood, I get it." Daryl dropped his bow and stepped back, his hands flying back up in defense. "Take it from me man, c'mon."

My heart pounded even more after he said that. Daryl looked at me with his eyes, trying to tell me that it'll be okay. I didn't think it would be.

"This man killed our friend." Joe said blankly. You say he's good people, you see now that's a lie." He stuttered. "It's a lie!" He yelled. Two men came up and tackled Daryl to the ground.

"'No!" I yelled out, watching Daryl getting beat into the ground by the three men that stood on top of his body.

"Teach him fellas! Teach him all the way." He said. I could hear Daryl's grunts which made me really upset. I heard he truck door open and Carl struggling.

"Carl!" I yelled, pushing the man off me by kicking him straight into his crotch. I got out of his hold and tried running to Carl. Instead, hands gripped me, throwing me to the ground. He was on top of me, his finger-trips digging into my waist.

"Now, do you really want to get killed?" His voice singing is, raspy and threatening, as it rings through my ear. His lips try to kiss me, my eyes close as I struggle in his grip.

I screamed. I screamed like I never had before. My voice became scratchy and breathless when I tried to scream more, as the guy still continue to hurt me. "Get off me!" I yelled. "Get. Off-" I struggled with my sentence as the guy kept pushing me into the ground. "Get the hell off me asshole!" I spat in his face.

He slid the knife over my cheek and began to put two hands on my throat. I couldn't breathe. Everything was happening so fast, I couldn't comprehend what was happening. I heard one gunshot. And two more. Just when I felt dizzy, his hands got lose and fell on top of me. I just realized he got shot on the chest. I tried standing up but I couldn't. I rolled over away from him and saw that he'd been shot again by Michonne. Saving me, Carl and Rick saving himself and Carl. The last thing I saw was Rick walking over the to the man that had Carl, with blood all over his face and an angry stare.

Minutes and minutes later, catching my breath and wiped some of the blood off my face, I crawled towards Daryl, who was currently lying breathlessly on the floor. "I can't believe it." I held his face and he winces because his cuts and potential bruises all over his body. "Daryl? Are you okay?" I could hear him cry into my shoulder as I leaned down. I've never seen this side of Daryl and never thought I would. "Thought I'd never see you guys again." Daryl whispered through his soft tears.

"I'm here," I started to cry. "We're here. We're together." I hugged on him tighter, not wanting to let go. "We're all here together." I repeated. "You'll be okay- we'll be okay." I said, as we laid on the floor. 

I woke up in the truck I had laid asleep in the night before, along with Michonne and Carl. I awoke to the sounds of Rick and Daryl's voice. I looked up at the roof of the ceiling and closed my eyes to listen to the sound of his voice. He's here. He's really here.

I sat up straight in the seat and winced still in pain and looked behind me and saw Carl's eyes opened, and Michonne holding him. Michonne gave me the look that it's okay, and I sat back in the car seat and tightly shut my eyes from the feeling of bruises all over my body. I looked in the mirror in the car and looked away instantly, feeling disgusted with the way I looked. Black eye, cuts and bruises all over my face and neck.

I opened the car door slowly and quietly shut it when I got out, I heard Rick say some stuff. I walked around the car, and saw Daryl and Rick sitting against it and drinking.

"How you feeling?" Daryl asked, as soon as he laid eyes on me.

"Not good." I smiled slightly, "How about you guys?"

"I'll be alright." Daryl mumbled. I looked at Rick, and he was still staring off in space. "Will all be." I smiled very slightly at him before walking away to get more of my dry blood off of my whole face and the rest of my body.

Daryl came up to me, while I was sitting on top of the hood of the truck. "Hi." Daryl said, his voice low and deep. I looked up at him and smiled slightly, while squinting my eyes because of the sun. He came up to me and stood between my legs. "You okay?" I asked him, while grabbing both his wrist and holding them while looking up at him, who was currently looking down.

He didn't answer. "Daryl?" I asked.

"Hm?" He mumbled.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Lex," Daryl sighed, and then pulled away from me and turned around, getting ready to walk away. "Just glad you're here, alive."

"Daryl," I sighed. I pulled his shirt to make him come back closer to me. He turned around and quickly held me close, while I was still sitting on the car, and rested his head in the crook of my neck, taking me by surprise. "Are you sure you're okay?" I whispered in his ear, running my fingers through his hair.

"Tired." He mumbled. "Just when we think we're settled, it all turns to shit."

"Talking about the prison?" I asked, while staring at the road ahead. Daryl mumbled something I couldn't make it out to be. I lifted his head up from my shoulder and looked at him. I wiped some blood from his cut above his eyebrow and stared at his eyes. "I miss looking at those blue eyes."

"They miss looking at you." He said seriously. I smiled at him, then took my hands and cupped his face gently and kissed him. He winced, but didn't move. "Sorry." I laughed.

"Don't be." He said. I kissed him one more time but softly.

"So, before you met this asshole and his group, you were alone?" I asked, curious about what he's been doing before he found us.

"Nah. I was with Beth." He mumbled

"Did she...?"

"No," Daryl sighed. "She's gone. Someone took her in some car with a white cross on it. Makes me wonder if she's safe or not." It stood silent between us. The only sounds were birds chirping and the leaves swishing around on the trees. Daryl rested his head on me again, breathing normally than before.


	18. Chapter 17- Terminus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Alex and the group reunites with Daryl, they find themselves hiding behind the place of sanctuary; Terminus.

"We're getting close." Daryl said, as we stopped at the down terminus sign, just a few feet off the train tracks. "Be there before sundown."

"Now we head through the woods." Rick added, looking around at everyone. He seemed tired, just like everyone else. But it was different, he looked different.

"Is it necessary?" I asked, hands resting at my waist as I leaned on one foot. "I mean, what are the chances they're actually good people?"

"

"We don't know who they are." He responded,

"Alright." Daryl said. "Let's go."

The group and I had followed Daryl and Rick into the woods, taking our chances on finding out who they are first, instead of showing up to their front door. It might've taken us less than an hour to have found Terminus. Carefully, we approached a fence, which happened to be the back of the sanctuary we've been constantly dreaming about.

"This is it..." I said, my eyes wide as I stare out to the huge fenced in courtyard to Terminus.

"We'll spread out, check the grounds." Rick suggested.

"Are you okay with us splitting up?" I ask. 

"We're strong. All we gotta do is just watch for awhile, see what we see... And get ready." Rick confirmed. "We'll stay close. Looks like Carl and Michonne already took off."

"They'll be okay. He'll be okay, Rick." I pat him on his arm, a smile forming on my lips. "Alright then. I'm going to take a walk."

"You sure you're fine alone?" Daryl asks, standing with his crossbow in his hands, instead of behind his shoulder. Without saying a word, I lean into him, kissing him on the cheek once Rick started to walk away.

"I'll be fine." I found myself walking away, but still close enough to be in sight of Daryl and Rick. I didn't want to go so far, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything suspicious happening behind these fences in Terminus. Roaming along the fence in the woods, my eyes looked to every red box car that seemed old and dusty. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I began to gain some calmness throughout my body. Maybe it was hope.

As I came back to the men, I watched Rick toss the big duffle bag into the dirt. It was our weapons we had collected along the way and I wondered why he'd do such a thing. As he and Daryl covered it with dirt, I approached them. Rick sees me as I stand behind Daryl. My eyebrows raise as I give him a questionable look.

"Just incase we need it for later." Rick nods, as they finish covering the hole. "I'm gonna go get Carl and Michonne, then we'll head on in."

"Alright." I say, watching him rub the dirt off himself and walk away. "Hey, you okay?"

Daryl wipes the dirt off his face with his red rag, then turns to face me. "Mhm."

"You sure?"

"I don't know." His gruff voice speaks up. "I guess it's just gonna be hard to settle into a new place with people we don't even know."

"That's how I felt back at the prison. Look how close we are now."

"It's different. Now it is. Our people are gone, it's just us."

"I had no one." I state. "I know it's a scary thought but I mean, we have each other right now. Rick, Michonne, Carl. Us. And maybe, just maybe, down along the line we'll find our people again."

Daryl nods, taking a step forward and pushing his forehead gently into mine. It was a sweet gesture, a very him thing to do. It made my heart swell at the kindness he showed. "Thanks." He quietly speaks.

We came back together and helped each other climb over the fence and onto one of the red box cars. We took our weapons, besides the ones Rick had hid away under the dirt. Carefully not making noise, we ran through one of the warehouses with our weapons raised, following voices and other inconspicuous noises that ran throughout Terminus' back entrance. Rick swung open the door and signaling us to go ahead. Daryl went ahead of me raising his crossbow, I raised my gun.

"Terminus. Those who arrive, survive. Follow the tracks to the point..."

We listened to the voice, as we walked over and looked at two big maps and the woman speaking into a microphone. I followed Daryl into the big room, looking back at Rick, Michonne and Carl, nodding my head towards the woman.

Rick went ahead of Daryl and I, as his gun was raised. "Hello."

"Those who-" the lady looked at us and panicked in her seat.

"Hello!" Rick repeated, louder at the other people in the room.

"Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch." Some guy said, walking a bit closer to us. "You here to rob us?" He asked.

"No. We wanted to see you before you saw us." Rick replied, his eyes looked around. I looked to the men watching us, their eyes calm along with their bodies. Only the woman had seemed alarmed. 

"Makes sense. Usually, we do this where the track meets." He said, walking closer to us. "Welcome to terminus, I'm Gareth! Looks like you've been on the road for a good bit." He chuckled, looking at the five of us.

"We have. I'm Rick. That's Carl, Alexandra, Daryl and Michonne." Rick introduced us, and Gareth smiled with his lips. Our faces didn't flinch, keeping them straight and unbothered by the niceness.

"You're nervous, we get it!" He laughed. "We were all the same way. We came for sanctuary. That what you're here for?"

"Yes."

"Good. You found it. Hey Alex!" He gestured to his friend. "This isn't as pretty as the front. We got nothing to hide but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer. Alex will take you, ask you a few questions. Uh, but first, we need to see everyone's weapons." He finished.

"Like hell you are." I snapped, clutching onto my gun tightly.

"Feisty." He laughed. "If you could just lay them down in front of you." He stared at me. Rick turned to us and nodded, basically telling us that it was okay.

"All right."

"I'm sure you understand." Gareth spoke.

"Yes, I do."

Gareth and his friend Alex began body searching us, definitely not as friendly as their welcome. When it came to me, Gareth smirked. He started to seem like an asshole to me. His hands started to roam around my body, respectfully at first, but it began to feel to harsh, making me flinch. It's like he had either thought I was hiding more weapons, or he had just wanted to feel me up. It might've even been both.

"Watch it there, buddy." I spat. Instantly, I saw Daryl's head snap over to my direction. I rolled my eyes in annoyance, as I nodded to him.

"I'd hate to see the other guy." The guy sAlex said, while patting down Daryl.

"You would." Rick confirmed.

"They deserve it?"

"Yes." Carl said immediately.

"Just so you know, we're not those kind of people. But we aren't stupid either." Gareth spoke. "And you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything stupid."

"Oh trust me...We aren't stupid." I fake smiled, giving a wink to him.

Gareth laughed and hummed. "As long as everyone's clear on that, we shouldn't have any problems, just solutions. Okay." He said as Alex started picking our weapons off the floor and handing it to us, except Daryl, he grabbed it fiercely off the floor and stared Alex down.

"Follow me." Alex said, as he walked us to the front courtyard of terminus.

"So, how longs this place been here?" Daryl asked.

"Since almost the start. When all the camps got overrun, people started finding this place. I think it was instinct, you know?" He said.

I nudged Daryl's arm and have him a look. "You good?" I whispered, and he nodded in response.

"Follow a path." He said. "Some folks were heading to the coast, others out west, or up north." He led us to a older woman, cooking up some meat.

"Hello." She greeted us. "Heard you came in the back door. Smart." She smiled. "You'll fit right in here."

"Hey Mary, would you fix up these new folks a plate for me?" Alex spoke.

"Why do you do it? Why do you let people in?" Michonne asked.

"The more people become a part of us, we get stronger." He answered. "That's why we put up the signs, invite people in. It's how we survive. Here," he handed Carl a plate of the meat.

"Rick?" I whispered, tugging on his sleeve, as he hummed in response. "His pocket. Look. It's-"

"Glenn's watch." He responded. "And the bag. And that prison armor over there." He said quickly, then running to the man Alex and held him at gun point.

Michonne, Daryl, Carl and I put our guns up to our surroundings, quickly understanding and following Rick's moves.

"Where the hell did you get this watch?" Rick said. "Huh? Where the hell did you get this watch?"

"You want answers? Want anything else? You get me when you put down the gun!" The guy Alex said struggling in Ricks tight arms.

"I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle. How good is his aim? Where'd you get the watch?" Rick said.

"Hey asshole! Answer him!" I yelled. "Where the fuck did you get my friends watch?"

"Don't do anything!" Alex yelled up at the sniper. "I have this! You just put it down! You want to listen to me, there's a lot of us."

"Where did you get the watch?" Rick repeated.

"I got it off of a dead one. I didn't think he'd need it." He answered quickly.

"What about the riot gear? The poncho?" Rick asked.

"Got the riot gear off a dead cop." Rick and I turned around and saw Gareth standing there. "Found the poncho on a clothes line."

"Gareth, we can wait."

"Shut up, Alex." Gareth said.

"You, talk to me." Rick demanded.

"What's there left to say? You don't trust us anymore. Rick what do you want?"

"Where are our people?"

"You didn't answer the question." Gareth said.

"I don't think you answered ours correctly." I state, watching him with my angry eyes. Before any of us could speak again, bullets came our way as Gareth yelled to his men.

"Carl!" Rick yelled. "Get down now! Go!"

"Lex!" Daryl yelled, as we ran away from the shootings, and me being the slowest, I had to be almost dragged by Daryl. Bullets were shot at us, as we ran, trying find a way out and far from the bullets.

We stopped running in the direction once the gunshots had started aiming in front of us. Looking up, I couldn't tell where the men were.

"C'mon!" Daryl yelled, as we ran together. Quickly, all of us must've figured out that they weren't shooting to harm or kill us. They were shooting at the floor. "Through here, lets go!"

All of us made our way into one of the warehouses, safely away from the bullets being fired.

"Here!" Daryl said, as we got locked in the warehouse. We walked through a door that had a big, capital a painted white on it. We were back outside, running fast again as the bullets trailed behind our moves. "C'mon! This way." Daryl pointed.

Suddenly, we came to a big room filled with lot candles, and black words painted all over the walls and floors. "What the hell is this place?" I said, still breathing heavy from running.

"These people, I don't think they're trying to kill us." Michonne said.

"No, they were aiming at our feet." Rick said.

"Over there." I said, pointing to exit door. We ran over to the door, but the door slammed shut, making me let out a scream. "Mother fucker!"

"There, there!" Daryl yelled as we ran towards another door, which happened to be open, on the other side of the room.

"Go!" Rick yelled. As soon as we ran out, the bullets came flying in front of us. I started to run, but Daryl had pulled me back quickly to stop, as soon as we all saw guys behind the fence with guns pouting at us, and people surrounding us with guns.

"Drop your weapons. Now! Or we shoot!" Gareth had yelled. We threw our weapons down onto the floor reluctantly, while staring up at him and all the other shooters.

"Ringleader, go to your left. The train car, go. You do what we say, the boy goes with you. Anything else, he does and you end up in there anyway." I saw Carl breathe heavily, his eyes filled with worry and anger as he watched his dad walk in front of us.

"Now the archer!" He yelled. Daryl stared Gareth down, while touch my hand real quick.

"It's okay." He said under his breath, then walking away continuing to stare Gareth down.

"Now, the samurai." Michonne stared him down as well, then looked forward and walked toward the box car.

"Now, the feisty bitch." Gareth looked at me. My heart started beating faster than before, while being scared of getting shot on my way towards the box car.

"Stand at the door, ringleader, archer, samurai and bitch! In that order." He yelled. I reached the wooden steps where Rick was with Daryl and Michonne.

"My son!" Rick yelled.

"Go kid." Gareth spoke. Carl started walking fast towards us. "Ringleader! Open the door and go in! Follow him!" He yelled.

"I'll go in with him." Rick said.

"Do not make us kill him now! Go open the door and get in!" Gareth yelled harsher than before. Rick walked the steps, followed by Daryl and Michonne.

As soon as I ran into the box car, I went straight next to Daryl, holding onto his arm. Carl followed in couple of seconds later, running towards Rick and they hugged each other tightly. We were there, together. Were we safe? Definitely not. But we had each other. The box car door slammed shut, leaving us five in the dark. Thankfully, it wasn't pitch black, not until the sun goes down anyways.

"Rick?" A voice said. We turned to our right and saw some people walking towards us.

"Glenn?" I said, hearing his voice. I saw him come out of the dark shadows of the other end of the box car and instantly, I ran to him, jumping in his arms, feeling blown away that we had found another one of us. "Maggie?" Behind her, I saw Sasha and Bob, a tall red head, lean guy, two short girls and some other guy.

"You're here. You're here." Rick repeated. "And them?"

"They're our friends." Maggie said, as six more people came out of the shadows, but I hardly saw their faces. "They helped us." She said. "Saved us."

"Yeah. Now they're friends of ours." Daryl mumbled.

"Forever how long that'll be." A tall guy said, standing behind Bob.

"No," Rick said. I returned next to Daryl and Michonne looking at Rick who walked towards them. "They're gonna feel real stupid when they find out." Rick said, peaking out the box car.

"Find out what?" Someone had asked.

"They're fucking with the wrong people." Rick spoke.

Turning my head once I heard movement throughout the box car, I noticed a couple of other people coming out, most likely to introduce themselves to us. But it wasn't more of our family, just people we didn't know. That was until I had seen a familiar face stand behind Maggie and Glenn.

"Alex?"


	19. Chapter 18- No Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex finds herself reuniting with some people, just like the group is with the rest of the prison group.

"Alex?"

"You." I said. The guy came walking closer, pushing Glenn and Maggie out of the way. "You." I repeated, as I furrowed my eyebrows. Ryan. It was Ryan. Alive and standing right in front of me. Feeling relieved was not what I was feeling throughout my body. Running into his arms was not what I was going to do.

Instead, I walked up to him, 

I punched him right in the face, causing him to fall back a bit, knocking him off balance. "

Ryan!" I heard a woman's voice yell.

"Vanessa?" I said, noticing that it was my best friend from along time ago. She stood out behind him and approached me.

"Alex." She smiled, with a relief look on her face. She ran up to me and we hugged each other tightly. "I can't believe it." She sighed, letting go and walking over to Ryan and holding him by his arm. "You okay, Ry?"

"Ry?" My face scrunches up in confusion, as I watch them in front of me. I didn't care about everyone else watching, as they had surrounded us and Glenn taking my hand that I had punched Ryan with.

She gave me a look that I couldn't quite comprehend, until Ryan had wrapped his arm around her in a lovey-dovey way.

"You've got to be kidding me.." I whispered, running up to them until Daryl had held me back, along with Glenn, clutching my arm.

"You must know these two." Glenn said, releasing me from his grip, as well as Daryl. Glenn had an awkward smile appear on his face.

"Yeah." I laughed in disbelief. "He was my- my best friend." I lied. "And her? My best friend. Who are probably doing it together now."

"Actually..." Vanessa started. "When he left, he uh-"   
As soon as she started, I knew what she was going to stay. I had that gut feeling that I knew exactly what happened between them two, and when.

"Are you serious?!" Daryl had grabbed me again, knowing that I wanted to punch her and Ryan as well. "After he left me?! Let me go, Daryl!" I struggled in his arms. He led me to the back of the box car to calm me down, while the others tried to figure out what had just happened. Daryl had dragged me to the other side of the box car, and put me in the corner. "God dammit, Daryl! I'm not a child!" I said.

"Be quite, girl." Daryl spoke. "Just be quiet and calm down. We can't do this here." 

"I can't take it in here. I can't." I said, while pacing around the end of the box car, away from Ryan and Vanessa. "I can't breathe. I can't function!" It's been a couple a days I think, or less. Maybe more, for being in the stupid box car. It was probably just only a day, and I had started to go crazy.

"Forget how to control your claustrophobia?" Ryan spoke.

"Oh just shut up. " I raised my voice.

"Lex, calm down. We're gonna get out of here." Glenn said trying to relax me.

"Oh how are you so sure? Huh?" My voice filled with anger. "Sorry, I just can't-"

"Function? I know." Glenn gave me a sympathetic smile. "Trust me. We are. We will." He said, standing up and walking back to Maggie.

"I know there's something other than this claustrophobia going on with you. You know those people?" Daryl implied.

"Just the two." I said. "Surprised they even made it in this world. Just old friends, I guess."

"Does anyone know what happened to Beth? Anyone seen her?" Maggie said.

"Me and her made it out the prison. But we got split up." Daryl spoke. I sat up and walked over to Maggie, checking to see if they were okay. 

For as long as we've been in this stupid box car, we began making up scenarios and plans on getting out before getting killed. Some clothing materials made for good weapons, anything worth taking apart from the box car seemed like a good idea too. But if we were going to get out eventually, our strength was something that was needed.

"They're coming!" Sasha yelled out.

"Ok, get ready to attack. We're getting out." Rick said. "If you don't know what to do, go for the eyes."

The doors were getting ready to open, as we all stood side by side ready to attack and leave this awful place. The doors swung open and I jolted back, hitting Daryl with my back side into his shoulder. Two men in black armor stood there and threw two unknown objects into the box car.

I noticed the object near my foot and furrowed my eyebrows. "What the-"

"Everyone down!" Abraham yelled.

White smoke quickly filled the boxcar as everyone was freaking out, knowing what to do.

I grabbed on to Daryl's arm once I felt him being tugged away from me. I saw that a man in black police suits and head shields, had been pulling Daryl away from me and out of the box car. The smoke was too much, making me not see and starting to make me feel all fuzzy and confused.

Next thing I know, I became weak, causing me to collapse on the ground coughing like crazy, as well as everyone else. The box car door slammed close, leaving us there, and taking whoever.


	20. Chapter 19- Getting Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and the group set a plan to get out of the boxcar and terminus, together.

As I regained consciousness, I slowly sat up and opened my eyes to find that the smoke had cleared. People were still coughing, trying to regain their breath. "Everyone okay?" I asked, leaning up against the box car as I breathe in and out.

"Where's Glenn?! Did they take him?" Maggie asked.

"I think so. I tried to hold on to Daryl, but he's gone."

"We're not getting out of here, are we?" Vanessa asked, holding on to Ryan as they stood up.

"No, we are. That's my dad out there. He's got it." Carl said.

I placed my hand on his shoulder in comfort and smiled slightly. "Yeah, he's got this, kid." I said.

Minutes later as everyone started to get up, we went back to planning things out, ready to fight our way out. We had went back to working on homemade weapons, so we can use them to fight. Maggie and I had stood together, with Glenn, by the light that was shinning through from the crack of the door. Being next to them, it made me feel incredibly lucky to have found them. And Rick was right, these people... they were in for a surprise once they find out about all of us.

Suddenly, the box car had shook from an explosion that had went off outside. Everyone had approached the front door of the box car and looked at each other questionably.

"What the hell was that?!" Sasha said, as she walked to me. We peaked through, trying to see what had happened.

"I don't know! All I see is smoke again." I panicked.

"Was it us? Did we do it?" Maggie asked.

"I don't know..." I said. "I don't know." I said quietly. I tried to open the doors but they wouldn't move, but trying couldn't harm me.

"It's not going to open! It's locked." Ryan said.

"Oh, it's locked?! I had no idea!" I turned around and yelled sarcastically.

"Alex-"

"No! Just shut up- both of you!" I yelled, as I cut off Vanessa. "We need to get out of here."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Vanessa said. I sighed and turned around.

"We wait." Maggie said.

"Wait? As in do nothing?" Vanessa snickered.

"We are doing something. Rick is out there. I know him, so does Carl. Maggie, Michonne." I motioned to them next to me. "Our people are out there. There's nothing they can't handle." I said confidently. 

That's exactly what we're doing." Michonne spoke. "Our people are out there." She repeated from me. "They're coming to us. You just gotta trust us."

The box car had swung open and we all jolted back. Our weapons were in our hands, ready to fight when we needed. We were going to get out of here, no matter how many people were outside trying to stop us. A figure had walked toward us through the smoke. 

"It's them." I call out to everyone.

"Come on!"

I jumped down from the box car and found Daryl's arms. Grabbing onto him, we looked at each other in assurance, making sure we were both okay. All of us gathered together and started running like Rick had.

"There's walkers! Head for the fence!" Rick yelled, as he started to kill the walkers that were coming our way.

This is probably the first time I've ever killed more than one walker at a time. There were so many coming from different directions. We were all scurrying around, trying to get to the fence and leave. I managed to get more blood and dirt on me more than anyone, as walkers tried grabbing at me. One of them even knocked me down, but I managed to take its eyes out and push him off of me.

When I stood up, I saw Daryl struggling with a walker by the fence. Running up from behind, I stabbed the walker in the neck, threw it on the concrete floor and smashed the head with my boots.

I looked up and saw Daryl looking at me. "Thanks. You good?" He said.

"Yeah."

"Lets go then." He held out his hand, waiting for me to take it, then pulled me with him as we dean to the fence. Everyone had got over by the time we approached it. The red headed man, went by the name of Abraham. He stood on our side of the fence, waiting for us. With the help of him, we climbed over and stood with our people, hoping that everything was okay now.


	21. Chapter 20- United

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're all finally together, and joined with some new people. Alex and Daryl try to talk about some personal things, but it gets uncomfortable.

"Where are we going now?" I asked, as Rick and Daryl led the way into the woods, towards the hidden duffle bag of weapons.

"We go back-" Rick started to speak.

"To terminus?" I asked, cutting him off. "Why the hell would we do that?"

"We go back and we kill them. All of them. We don't let them get to live."

"Rick, we just got out. Why risk it?" I turned my head towards Sasha.

"She's right, Rick. We need someplace safe to be." Maggie said. I sighed and turned to look back at Rick.

"Walkers are over running the place, I'm sure they'll run or get attacked by them." I said. It stood quiet as Rick looked at everyone, who has been agreeing with me. "You saw who they were, Rick. They wouldn't make it out alive. They were a bunch of pussies who only aimed for our feet."

"They're right." Daryl spoke quietly.

"Alright then." Rick said, handing out weapons to everyone. He handed me a black hand gun, along with a small silver knife, then went to give everyone else their weapon. "We'll keep on moving." 

We walked for what felt like forever, away from terminus. Although I felt exhausted from walking for so long, 

Daryl and I walked alone and in silence together behind everyone else. Some of them were quiet, some were talking to each other. It was a nice sight to look at after everything they had lost. We had lost.

"How are you?"

"Should be asking you that." He mumbled.

"You should be happy-"

"Why? For losing the prison? Almost getting killed at terminus?" Daryl snapped.

"Daryl. That's not what I mean. You should be thankful that we're all together." I sighed. "Look- I'm just trying to make the best of things. Don't snap at me for trying." I tried walking away and leaving his side, until he grabbed my hand and making me stop.

He stood by my side, looked at me and stared.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"It's okay. Honestly. We all feel what you feel. But right now, we just got figure out where we're going."

"How are you feeling?"

"I think I'll be okay..."

"But?"

"It's weird."

"What's weird?" Daryl asked me, still holding on my hand, softly, but still there and secure. I looked down at our hands barely linked together and started to talk.

"Vanessa and Ryan. Them being alive. I thought they were dead.."

"They're old friends... Shouldn't you be relieved? Why'd you punch him?" Daryl asked.

"I uh-" I stuttered. I didn't want to lie more to Daryl, but I didn't want to tell the truth about Ryan. Not yet at least. "There's a past. There's always a past. I-I just don't want to talk about it. At least not now."

"Alright." Daryl said, letting go of my hand, making my hand feel lonely, as he walked ahead of me by a couple of feet. I looked back and saw Rick standing near a piece of wood on a wooden poll.

"Rick?" I said, walking towards him. "What's up?" I said. I saw Rick leaning down and picking up some dirt and crossing out the terminus sign, leaving up Sanctuary and putting No on top. It had now said No Sanctuary, to warn people that there isn't one anymore.

We stopped in the woods, taking a rest while the others were figuring out what our next move would be, where we could go and how to be safe, even if safe was never a real thing anymore in this broken world now. Daryl leaned up against a tree, while I stood to the side of him throwing my hair info a pony tail.

A branch breaking had suddenly broke the silence, all of us turned our heads. Alarmed and ready for any walkers, most of us stood up and got our weapons out.

"Carol?" I smiled, putting my gun down, as Daryl ran up to her and hug her tightly. I noticed she held his crossbow and some other things in her hands, until she dropped them to hold Daryl. I smiled at the sight in front of me, seeing that Daryl was, I'm guessing, happy. He turned to me and nodded, then held my hand tightly. I observed his face and seen that he looked like he was going to cry, or that he already did and I missed it...

Rick hugged Carol tightly, as we all came forward to say hello. "You did this?" Rick asked. She smiled and nodded her head as they hugged again.

"There's something you should see." Carol said to him, after hugging Rick. We followed Carol through the woods some more, until she stopped in front of us. I saw Rick and Carl run pass Carol, running towards some white little house place, with Tyreese holding Judith. Rick and Carl had ran and held Judith in their arms and hugged onto each other.

Sasha ran past me and ran into her brothers arms.

"Hey." I turned my head and saw Carol standing next to me.

"Carol." I smiled. "I'm happy you're here."

"I'm happy to be here with all of you again." She smiled. "I missed you all."

"We missed you too. Thank you, you know. You saved our lives." She just smiled at me and then we both turned our heads back towards the reuniting families. We were all here. Together and alive... I smiled at them reuniting each other, also wishing that's how I was with Ryan and Vanessa...


	22. Chapter 21- ChurchT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group arrives at a church, where they meet someone and lose someone. Daryl comforts Alex.

"Help! God, help me! Someone!" All of our heads turned to where the voice was coming from. "Help me! Oh god!"

We ran towards the noise, and saw that a bald guy in a black suit and a white collar, assuming he was a father from a church, on his knees trying to stay safe from a walker trying to eat him. "Help me!"

"I got this-" I said, walking towards the walker.

"Nah, let Rick do it. We can't trust this guy." Daryl said, grabbing me. Rick ran up to the guy, them grabbed the walker by its head and smashed it into the rock, causing the walker to die and fall on the ground. The bald guy climbed down, and looked at the walker, then at us. He coughed a bit, then suddenly he threw up right in front of us, causing me to close my eyes and gag from the sounds and smell.

"I'm father Gabriel." He said, after throwing up. I turned to Daryl and raised my eyebrows.

"Where'd you come from?" I asked. The father Gabriel turned to me and smiled nervously, looking at our weapons.

"My church- there's a church."

"Where?" Daryl mumbled.

"Not too far from here." Father Gabriel spoke.

"If-if there's a church-"

"It's safe. Only one entrance, one exit." Father Gabriel interrupted Rick.

"If you're lying..." Rick said.

"No, I'm not. Honest."

"Is there more people? At the church." Rick asked.

"Just me... And God." He answered Rick. Rick hesitated, while looking back at all of us, then at the ground- trying to make a decision. "There's food, water. Enough for at least a month."

"Rick," I whispered. "It seems legitimate to me."

"Yeah, same here." Daryl said. "We need to stop- rest and sleep. Eat."

"Ok then. But we're not staying if it's not safe- we're not risking our lives." Rick spoke. Father Gabriel led us to the church through the woods.

"Hey." I heard Daryl's voice and felt his boot kick mine as I sat against the wall. I looked up and saw him leaning against the wall.

"Hi."

"Why aren't you with everyone?"

"Why aren't you?" I smirked.

"Smart ass." He said, turning away to leave. I heard her laugh and I could just picture the smile are her face.

"Come back." I smiled, as he turned around to join me on the ground. "DC, huh?"

"So you heard..." He said.

"DC... It just sounds too good to be true. Look at Terminus. What if DC isn't what it seems, or no one is there? I think I would just give up at that point." I said, straightening my back up against the wall.

"Don't say that. You're putting your self back into fear- trying to be comfortable with it."

"I don't know what to say anymore. What do you think?"

"DC? I'm down for whatever Rick wants to do." Daryl answered.

"Would you go if you knew, uh-certain people weren't going? Like..."

"Like you?" He asked. "I don't think I could leave without you."

"But if I didn't wanna go to DC?" I asked, looking down and playing around with my fingers.

"Then I'd stay. With you."

"Yeah?" I looked up at him, then rested my head on the wall.

"Yeah."

I then let my hand caress his face gently and rubbed the stubble. "Thank you."

"For what?" Daryl furrows his eyebrows.

"Saving me that day... And taking me to the prison. Even though you were an asshole to me." I say smiling.

"Welcome, smart ass."

I heard him laugh after I said that. He took my hand that fell off his face and held it in his lap. I turned my head forward, looking at the group eating and talking amongst themselves.

"Everything good? Have you spoken to them?" He asks, referring to Ryan and Vanessa.

"No, not at all. It's just- I don't think I could ever be happy that they're alive after I realized what happened with them, back at terminus..."

"I don't understand."

"Before this whole virus, me and Ryan... We were together. Engaged. After we got engaged, we just got into so many arguments- he left our home certain days, sometimes wouldn't come back."

"What'd you fight about?"

"Little things. The big things were about him not wanting kids, and me wanting kids."

"That's why you punched him? In terminus."

"Yeah." She answered. "And when Vanessa just helped Ryan up and they held onto each other I knew that they had something going on. It's just- I had the feeling. I-" I stopped talking and coughed.

"Sorry, um- they were always close. It made me worry, but I ignored it. I'm sorry, I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Hey, you don't ever have to."

"Thanks, Daryl. I think I'm going to get some fresh hair, be alone for a bit."

"Don't wonder out too far."

"I won't." I promise, as I walked away from him and everyone else in the church.

Once I reach the doors, I pull them open carefully, I walk outside and shut the doors.

"Are you serious right now, Ryan?" I heard Vanessa trying to yell quietly, as I walked out of the church and went down the steps.

"Vee, c'mon. It wasn't supposed to happen. It-"

"Ryan, you can't just tell me something like that and expect me to be okay with it?!" She yelled. I heard them stop talking, then suddenly her screaming was loud, almost like she was in pain.

I ran towards the voices and found Vanessa. I looked down looking at a bitten Vanessa right on the cheek and the walker going at her neck. Pushing the walker off of Vanessa, I took my gun out and aimed at the walker, shooting it in the head.

"No, no, no." I kept repeating, as I held her in my arms. "Vanessa?" It wasn't going to end well. She was going to turn soon if I didn't do anything. I had grabbed the knife from the back of my jeans and held it in my hands as I stared at her lifeless body. I whimper as I stare at her, the person I once knew in what seemed like another life. Although I hadn't been speaking to her, it still hurt to see someone you knew, die right in front of you. Especially if you were the one to end their suffering. I whisper a few words before entering the knife at the side of her head.

For a few minutes, I sat there. That was until I remembered Ryan was standing there, watching me on the ground. I turn my head to look up at him. He was crying, but I didn't care. I stood up and approached him.

"Why didn't you save her?" I asked Ryan. I looked up and saw him standing, looking blankly at me. "You did this!"

"No-"

"You did this! Why didn't you-" I started to cry and my head went down. "Why didn't you save her you asshole?"

"Alex?" I hear Rick's voice. I turned around and saw everyone there looking at Ryan and I and Vanessa's dead body.

I continued to scream at Ryan, like I was the one getting killed. I walked over to him getting ready to hurt him, until I felt arms go around my waist from behind, holding me. "Let me go!" I yelled. I got out of the pair of unknown arms holding me and pushed Ryan.

"I didn't do anything! There's was nothing I could've done!" Ryan yelled. "I was in shock!"

"Bull shit! You were fighting with each other! You were standing in front of her! Why didn't you- gosh! Why didn't you save her?" I yelled, while pushing him and pushing him all away until he stopped against a tree.

"I didn't-"

"This is your fault. This is all your fault! All of it!" I began hitting him, trying my best to hurt him but I was too weak. The two arms held me and made me walk towards back to the church, while I passed Rick and the group who were watching me, break down, which was something I never wanted for them to see.

"I couldn't have stopped it! There's was nothing I couldn't do!" Ryan yelled.

"You son of a bitch!" I yelled, still getting pulled away from Ryan and everyone else.

"Let me go." I said harshly, still not knowing who was holding me. The arms let go, but a hand held me by the wrist, turning me slowly around. My head went up, as I slowly started to open my eyes.

"You're going to be okay, alright?" Daryl spoke quietly. I pulled Daryl by his jacket he had on, and hugged him as tight as I could. "Daryl. Daryl." I kept saying his names through my cries, trying to not cry as hard as I was in front of him and everyone else.

I was crying into his shoulder and never wanting to let go. "I got you, baby, I got you. You're okay." I heard his whispers on and on, into my hear, as I heard a gunshot from way behind me, knowing it was someone shooting the walker turned Vanessa...


	23. Chapter 22- I Got You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Daryl comforts Alex, she wakes up the next morning alone and to find Daryl isn't around.

When I walked away from Ryan and everyone who watched me, I sat on the bottom step of the church, sitting there, sad and filled with anger. I felt someone sit next to me, gaI got you, baby, I got you. You're okay." I heard Daryl's whispers on and on, into my ear.

"I can't move." I stuttered. "Daryl, I'm so-"

"I got you, Lex. Okay? I got you." Daryl said, as I felt him lift me off the ground and carried me up the steps and into the church. I saw that he had taken me towards the back, and sat us down. His legs opened and guided me in between him, leaving me resting on his chest. "Go to sleep. I'm not going anywhere." Although I had closed my eyes, I struggled with falling asleep, all the exhaustion mixed with the sadness didn't want me to sleep. 

I woke up shivering from the cold wood beneath me, in the back of the church. Forgetting where I was, not even remembering how I got to sleep, I sat up and looked around for Daryl. Instead, I watched everyone on the church's benches, sleeping, except for Maggie and Glenn. Rick wasn't here, so I assumed he was outside keeping watch for all of us. The couple had walked toward me, probably noticing I had woken up and saw Daryl wasn't with me.

"Morning, Alex." Maggie said, handing out her hand for me to take. I stand up and look her in the eyes. Her sympathetic look had reminded me of what happened last night and my tough loss.

"Morning."

"Lex," My eyes flicker to Glenn. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, pulling me in for a hug. Instead of freezing up, I gave in and hugged him back tightly. He had been there for me more than anyone, he was becoming my best friend.

"Do me a favor, Glenn?

"Yeah, of course." He pulls back and takes a hold of my hand.

"Don't let Ryan anywhere near me, please. I can't look at him." I whispered

"Absolutely."

"Have you seen Daryl?"

"No, not since last might when he was with you." Glenn answered.

"Maybe he's on a hunt? He always did this back at the prison and before that. Maybe Rick knows?"

"I'll go check." I started heading towards the church doors, quietly so I wouldn't wake anyone up. I opened the door slightly, instantly hit with the bright shinning sun and the cold air. "Rick." I said, walking towards him. "Where's Daryl? I can't find him."

"I don't know. I can't find him or Carol." He answered. "Must've went on a run, early morning before the sun came up."

"Oh..."

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"I know last night was tough. Remember, everyone here lost someone. We're all here for each other, we can talk."

"Yeah, I know Rick. Thank you."

"Make sure you don't keep everything inside."

"Yeah." I nod, looking out in the woods, wanting nothing more but Daryl here.


	24. Chapter 23- Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl is missing, someone is dying and Alex tries to be strong for the people around her and herself.

It's been a whole day since Daryl and Carol has been on either a run, or missing from the group. Rick told me not to worry, but I couldn't help worry that something had had happened, or that he just left- but, why would he leave?

"Guys?" I turned around and saw Sasha looking around. "Have you seen Bob?"

"Haven't seen him." Carl said, carrying Judith.

"I'll go check outside, then." Sasha said, making her way out the church and out in the night.

Moments later, we all heard a gunshot and some weird noises. I looked at Rick and picked up my gun, as me and him made our way outside. "Tyreese! C'mon." We ran outside and together, finding Sasha breathing heavily, while Rick pointed his flashlight at the walkers on the ground, and all around us.

"Someone's watching us." Sasha spoke breathlessly.

"We should head back inside." I suggested

"They're not coming back." Tyreese said.

"Bob is out here somewhere. Scared, alone." Sasha said, looking at me, then back towards the darkness.

"Daryl and Carol are missing too, still." Rick told Sasha and Tyreese. I looked at Rick and bit my lip, hoping that whatever happened to Bob, didn't happen to them. We made our way back to the church, shutting the doors, and walking towards the back. I went over to Maggie and stood against the wall with her.

"Stop," Maggie and I looked at Sasha and saw her approaching Father Gabriel. "What're you doing? This is all connected."

"Sasha..." I said, getting up and staring at both of them. I looked at Rick and saw him giving me a signal to stay where I was. He wanted Father Gabriel to be interrogated like Sasha was doing. It was a mistake that we barely did it when we found him.

"You show up, we're being watched, and now three of us are gone." Sasha told Gabriel.

"Three of us?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah. Bob, Carol and Daryl." Sasha said, her voice filled with strength.

"I- I don't- I don't have anything to do with any of this." Gabriel said, looking at all of us, and backing away from Sasha being in his face. I didn't know what to think about Father Gabriel–Daryl said we couldn't trust him, so did Rick. Sasha quickly pulled out her knife, and we all took out ours. Rosita came up running with her gun, until Abraham had stopped her. Michonne stood up to, standing in front of Sasha and Father Gabriel.

"Who's out there?" Sasha said, as I walked over beside Rick.

"Rick, do something." I whispered.

"I don't have anything to do with-"

"Where are our people?" Sasha interrupted him.

"I don't kn-"

"Where are our people?!" Sasha yelled.

"I don't have anything to do with this." Gabriel replied calmly, but nervously. Rick pulled Sasha back softly, and I moved over so that she can be next to her brother.

"Why'd you bring us here?" Rick asked.

"Look-"

"Are you with someone? Anyone?" Rick asked, walking towards him.

"No- I'm alone." He answered back. "I was always alone."

"What about that woman? At that food place, Gabriel? What did you do to her? You'll burn for this. What will you burn for this? What did you do to our people?" Rick said, picking Gabriel up by his collars of his suit and holding tightly on him. "What did you do!" He let go.

"I lock the doors- I always lock the doors at night." Gabriel spoke, beginning to cry. "They started coming. Atlanta was bombed the night before..." I started to space out, thinking about if he really did have something, anything to do with Carol, Daryl and Bob's disappearance.

"You see, it was my choice. There was so many of them. Trying to pry the shutters and screaming at me- so the dead came for them. Women- children. Entire families calling my name, while getting torn apart. Begging me for mercy- for mercy." He said, crying and crying after each word. Bob dropped to the floor and kept talking to Rick, but I couldn't make it out to what he was saying.

"I always lock- I always the doors!" He cried, cradling himself.

"There's someone- there's someone outside! Lying on the grass." Glenn said in a panic. I ran towards Glenn, trying to leave and see if it was Daryl. "Alex, no. Don't." Glenn said.

"It can be Daryl- it could be.." Suddenly, Rick called out Sasha's name, I turned around and saw Sasha running out the church and towards the trees.

"Bob!" She yelled. "Oh my god!" We all ran towards her and saw Bob on the ground all beaten up and weak. Walkers were lurking out of the trees, coming to us.

"Get him inside! We'll take care of this!" Glenn yelled. Me, Glenn, Maggie and Rick began killing a bunch of the walkers that were in iur way. I saw Tara help Sasha with Bob, then Ryan came to help.

"He's bit!"

"Get inside!" Rick yelled. "We'll deal with it! Go." 

Some of us sat beside Bob and Sasha in one of the rooms at the back of the church. We listened to how he got taken, how he got hurt. His voice was low and scratchy like, probably from the pain. It was a sad sight, another one of us to meet their end soon.

"I woke up outside this place, weak and bruised all over. It looked liked a school." Bob began talking, weakly. "It was that guy- from terminus. Gareth. There were other ones too with him. They were eating my fingers in front of me- they tried to take my leg- bit Gareth said that he'd save it for the next time he takes me again- or you." He said, gesturing to Sasha. "They were all proud like they had it all figured out."

"Daryl, and Carol. Did they have them too?" Rick asked.

"Gareth said they drove off." Everyone looked at each other then at me. I closed my eyes in relief, that nothing had happened- but I was still confused on whn the hell Daryl and Carol would leave?

"He's in pain, do we have anything?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah, there should be some stuff in a bag." Rosita answered. "The first aid kit."

"There's a sofa, in my office. He can rest on it instead on here. He's gonna need something soft to lay on so his bruises won't hurt... for now." Bob said to Sasha.

"Thank you." Sasha spoke, her eyes and even her voice filled with heartbreak.

"Let's get him to the room, let him rest. Okay?" I told Sasha, as she nodded her head. From the side, I saw Ryan help Bob up, along with Sasha.

"Thanks." I said to Ryan, surprised that he was actually doing something to help us out. I didn't look at him once, but I had to thank him.

"Yeah, no problem." He said, then walking away with Sasha to get Bob settled.


	25. Chapter 24- Church Killings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The people from terminus get what they deserve, while Alex feels uneasy.

"I'll go with you." I spoke to Rick as I walked next to him after he walked away from talking to Gabriel.

"I'd like that, but we need you here. With Daryl and Carol missing, we need more hands in the church." Rick answered, as he looked me in the eyes.

"Alright, I look after Gabriel? Make sure he doesn't do anything, wonder off."

"See, you got this. Tyreese, Michonne and the rest will be here too. We need to throw Gareth and his group off, if they come back."

"What happens if you guys go and they come in?"

"They won't." Rick answered. "I'll make sure of it." 

Later on during the night, Rick had came back with Gareth and his men. Gareth was on his knees, hands tied around his back, just like some of the other guys Rick picked up with Gareth. Maggie stood by one person, Glenn by another, while Rick stood in front of Gareth. I stood off to the side, by the wooden church benches, alone. While I was watching Rick speak to him, I was beginning to feel uneasy. Maybe it was just the week we were all having, or the things I've gone through–we gone through– was now catching up to me.

"You could've killed us when you came in. There had to be a reason for that." Gareth spoke, his head was down.

"We didn't want to waste the bullets." Rick said, staring right at Gareth.

"Besides," I watch Rick place his hand on the side of his waist, grasping at the hatchet. "already made you a promise." Rick spoke, as he was picking up the hatchet and raising it over his head, aiming for Gareth. My eyes went wide as I remembered this was all real and that Rick was about to kill the people that almost tried to kill us.

I've killed walkers, seen walkers die, but I've never seen someone kill a human being. In this moment, I wasn't so sure I was ready to witness something like that, let alone be just a few feet from it. I watched Rick's movements, along with Maggie's and a few others get ready to end it all for the people who tried to hurt us.

Blood was getting on the floors, on the faces of Rick and the others who killed the tied up men. It was bloody, it was gruesome and it was real. I had to stop staring and walk out of the church and take a deep breath, preparing myself for the new world.


	26. Chapter 25- Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world is gonna need Rick Grimes.

For the rest of the night last night, we had all come together to clean around us, so that we can take moments of rest before figuring out what we were all going to do next.

Like Daryl and I had discussed days ago, Abraham and his people were on going to Washington. Not only was it Abraham, but Glenn and Maggie had decided they were going to part ways with Rick and us, joining Abe on their adventure.

I sat on the outside steps of the church, watching everyone gather together to say their goodbyes to our new friends, and Rick speaking to Abraham. My eyes roamed over to Glenn approaching me and sitting down next to me. His shoulder bumps into mine, a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Hey."

"You're really gonna go?" I ask, my eyes furrowing in, upset that I probably wasn't ever going to see him again.

"Yeah."

"It's like I'm losing everyone."

"You're not losing anyone. Daryl will be back. And when he will, everything will be okay. And hopefully one day, you guys will be right behind us and in DC together." Glenn said giving me another sincere smile, his eyes

"I'll try to keep that hope alive."

"I will try too."

"I'm gonna miss you," I hold onto his arm, as I rest my head on his shoulder. "Thank you for everything, welcoming me and being so kind."

"Well, thank you for not turning out to be some insane killer." Glenn laughs, as he pats my hand.

"I could say the same thing about you guys." I laugh along with him. "You think I'll see you guys again?"

"Something's telling me we will all find our way back to each other." He reassures me, but it makes me think he's just telling himself that for Maggie's sake to reunite with her sister, but it also makes me think that he really does believe we'll come together again.

Our conversation cuts short when we realize Abe and everyone are ready to leave the Church and make their way to Virginia.

"This is our route to DC," Abraham explained, handing a map folded up to Rick. "We'll stick to it as long as we're able. If not, you got our destination. Once Eugene gets up there, things are gonna bounce back. This group should be there for it. You should be there for it."

"They will be." I turned my head and saw Maggie standing behind Glenn and I, confirming that she has hope for Rick and the rest of us to follow along one day.

"We will." Rick said, turning back to Abraham.

"Let's go." Abraham said, walking towards the church bus with Rosita, Eugene and Tara.

"Glenn..." I said, stopping him from walking towards the bus. "I'll miss you." I said, with little tear drops spilling out of my eyes.

"Hey," Glenn whispered, while pulling me in for a hug, "you're my best friend, of course I'll see you soon. We all will." I nodded and let go, making him and Maggie walk onto the bus and looking out at all of us, in front of the church.

I stood next to Rick, looking at the map over his shoulder. I looked at the red marker, trailing from where we were now, to the state of Virginia. In obvious and big letters, one of them, I'm assuming Abe, wrote a note at the bottom.

Sorry, I was an asshole. Come to Washington.

The new world's gonna need Rick Grimes.

It wasn't a lie. We were most definitely going to need Rick.


	27. Chapter 26- Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A group leaves the church.

"Are you gonna take the cross too?" Father Gabriel rushes his words out, as he follows me outside the church.

"Gabe- " I close my eyes and stop walking, remembering that he would probably like to be called father. "Father Gabriel...I know what this means to you, we won't take it. Just.. everything else I guess."

"He wants to go to Atlanta, but I can't have that." Rick speaks.

"Who wants to go to Atlanta?" I ask, standing beside Michonne, as her arms were crossed.

"Noah."

"Noah..." I look over my shoulder and see the kid sitting down as Daryl stood beside him. He made it back, this time he wasn't alone. Carol wasn't with him, just some skinny young kid around Beth's age, who looked distraught and tired. When he had rushed back to the church, Maggie, Glenn and them had been gone already, so they couldn't be here to hear the news that broke. They had found and knew where Beth was. And they wanted to go and get her.

"He wants to come with us?" I ask.

Rick nods, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Then you stay." Michonne says, finding a simple solution to his problem.

"I owe it to Carol."

"We all owe it to Carol." Michonne states.

"She saved our lives, we should save hers too." I chimed in, trying to convince Rick to let us come with him.

"I owe her more." Rick said, then looking at us.

"So, who's joining you? I'm down to go." I said, giving a smile.

"I'm down with it too," Rick laughed. "But I don't know if Daryl is..."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I raised my eyebrow, also reminding me of something Glenn would've said.

"He's just protective of you." Rick smiled. "He's always been protective, got a weird way of showing it but.. he's Daryl."

"I can make my own decisions."

A few minutes later, Rick was getting everyone ready to leave with him, gathering weapons and getting into a car. I stood by the steps of the church, watching them. I heard footsteps from behind me, a gruff voice calling out to me.

"I don't want you coming." Daryl said, as we walked back into the church.

"Why not? And why does it matter to you?" I asked, stopping behind him, so we can talk face to face.

"Because-" he pauses, "It could be dangerous. I don't want those people back there to take you or if worse comes to worse... I just don't want you to go." Daryl said, looking down and picking up his crossbow.

"Sasha's going." I stated.

"Michonne's staying." He answered in the same tone of voice as me.

"I'm just as capable as you are to go out and do these types of things."

"So is Michonne and that's why she's staying. To protect Carl and Judith. And to watch Gabriel." Daryl said, then getting ready to walk away.

"You know what? Just this one time, I'll stay here. But just... please be careful. I don't want anyone to get hurt like Bob..Or end up like Vanessa." I said quietly, with my now saddened eyes.

"Hey, I won't." Daryl's voice said, coming closer. I looked at his eyes, as well as examining the rest of his beautiful, dirty face.

"I'll see you." I said, then hugging him and letting go quick, before he could comprehend what I had just did.

"See ya." He said, then walking out the church, leaving me next to Carl and Judith. I turned to the small baby in Rick's arms who came up towards me and Michonne.

"Alright," Rick said, handing Judith to Michonne. Rick hugged Carl tightly, as me and Daryl exchanged a look, that I myself couldn't comprehend.

"We'll be back soon." Rick said.

"Rick," I whispered. "Are you sure taking Ryan is a good idea? I mean-"

"We'll be fine with him. If anything, Daryl might be the one to do something to him." Rick joked.

"Yeah- just keep a eye on both of them. We don't need anyone else hurt." I said, looking over at the door in the back of the church, where Bob wasn't doing so great. The end was coming for him and that made me sad for Sasha.

"Alright." Rick said, then Michonne helped Rick close the doors, leaving us behind.

I hoped Rick was going to take Ryan with them and he did. I still couldn't even look at him, let alone be near him. I wouldn't even know how to talk to him after all this time. After our engagement, our fights, finding him with Vanessa at terminus and him not doing anything about her death.

I didn't get to say goodbye to her. I didn't even get a chance to talk to her like we were old friends again, and it hurt. It made me regret that I never even talked to her. I just ignored her, while she tried to make me understand, while she tried to make things right. But me being the stubborn didn't help. That's definitely one of my problems.

"Uh, where's Gabriel?" Carl asked, walking towards the front stage of the church. I had just walked out of the back room, checking in on Bob.

"You weren't watching him Alex?" Michonne asked.

"I was checking in on Bob, I don't think he's going to make it."

Michonne nodded slowly, "Alright."

"If Gabriel is missing, you two should go. I'll watch Judith, keep an eye on Bob just in case. Stay here if Gaberiell comes back."

"Sounds like a plan." Carl confirms, handing Judith over. 

"Let's just find him quickly. We can't just have him disappear in thin air." Michonne said, walking towards the back to the other rooms in the church.

"Please let me in! They're close! Help!"

"Was that Gabriel?!" I said, looking at the church doors. "How the hell did he get out?"

"None of us kept our eye on him." Carl said.

"Take her." I speak, as Carl took Judith, while Michonne and I scrambled towards the doors. The wood on the doors that kept us inside were hard to take off, as we tried to pry them off. Michonne left then reappeared suddenly with an axe, chopping the wood pieces away.

"Give me! Take Carl and Judith, go to the back of the church. I got this!" I yelled, picking up the axe and finishing up Michonne's work. "Go!" I yelled, at Carl who stood there, with his gun getting ready to aim. God dammit, I thought.

"Help me! Please!" Gabriel screamed. He was running in the moment the doors had flung open. Walkers trailed behind him, giving us just only a few seconds to start running.

Carl began to shoot, as I killed one walker with the axe in my hand.

Michonne used her sword and killed at least four walkers in front of her, with Judith on her back. We ran away towards the back of the church and through the doors. Michonne slammed the door shut, panting as we all stood around.

"What's going on? Walkers got in?" Bob slowly got up, with the energy he had left.

"Yeah." I answered sadly, looking down at him and then to his leg.

"That's how I got out! Crawl under to the back!" Gabriel quickly said, out of breath, pointing down at the ground. "Pry the floorboards open and crawl out. Take the little one, and go!"

As they began to break the floorboards, I sat on the edge of Bob's bed, staring at him. "Bob.."

"I know."

He wasn't coming with us, he couldn't. He was dying and he couldn't even walk. "It's okay. I've accepted it, you should too. Sasha."

"Sasha?" I repeated, my head bowing down as I start to tear up. "I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve what those animals did to you."

"Yeah," he laughs as he nods his head, "but they did. What Rick did to them."

"We have to go." Michonne stands, throwing the last piece of wood from the floor beside her. "Bob."

"Can you just let Sasha know."

"Let her know what?" I ask.

"That she's strong and she can keeping going on. Her brother, me. It's going to get to her, she needs everyone. You all need each other." 

Eventually, we all made our way to the back of the church, by crawling on the dirt, awaiting Gabriel's arrival. "Did you leave him anything?"

"I did." Carl answered. "An extra gun I had." 

We walked to the front of the church, seeing nothing but a couple of walkers stuck inside the point silver metal poles. Michonne and I carefully and quietly began to kill the walkers, making sure the other bunch of walkers inside the church heard. I saw Michonne walk up on the steps and close the church doors quickly, trapping them inside.

"What- what do we now? Where do we go now?" Carl whispered, carrying Judith in his arms.

"I don't know." Michonne said, then walking towards Gabriel.

"You tired?" I asked Carl, noticing his eyes becoming heavy, and his back hunched over from Judith on his back.

"A little- but I'll be fine." He said, giving me a small Carl smile.

"Where'd you go?" Michonne said, as me and Carl looked over at her talking to Gabriel.

"The school." He answered. "I had to see- I had to know."

"Yeah? You almost had us killed! You-" the sounds of the walkers inside the church cut me off as they started to break down the doors, causing them to flood out. Carl got out his gun, Michonne got her sword ready, Gabriel got his machete ready, while I had the axe and my gun ready as well.

Next thing I know, fire truck driving fast into the side of church doors, blocking the walkers from leaving the church. We realized it was Abraham, driving, seeing his red hair and big head.

"Oh gosh, thank god you're here." I said to Glenn, hugging him again, tightly, and Maggie hugging Michonne.

Suddenly, a gunshot had went off. I bit my lip and nodded my head at Michonne as we understood what just happened.

"What was that?" Glenn asked, holding on to Maggie.

"Bob." I answered. "We we're trying to make it out of here when the walkers came. He wasn't going to make it, he knew that."

"Oh my god...You guys okay?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah. Sasha won't be." Michonne said, as silence shortly followed. Some of us stared at the ground, some at each other. Of course we were all happy to be alive and standing, but when it's one of us who gets hurt or dies, that's when it hurts on the most.

"Eugene lied." Glenn blurted out, letting go of our hug, but still holding on to me. "He can't stop it. Washington isn't the end. Where is everyone else?"

"They went to go find Carol. Beth is alive." I said, looking at Maggie. "Daryl came back, took the rest of the group back to a hospital to try and save Beth and Carol."

"She's what?" Maggie said.

"Beth's alive. She's in a hospital in Atalanta." Michonne said, approaching Maggie, with her hopeful, teary eyes.

"Do we know which one?" She said, already crying.

"Grady memorial." I answered, giving a smile.

Glenn walked over to Maggie, and they hugged. Maggie was so happy, I couldn't describe how beautiful this moment was, of her finding out about her sister, who she hadn't seen since the prison. "Oh my god." Maggie laughed and cried into Glenn's shoulder.

"Let's blow this joint, go save your sister." Tara said, giving a big smile.

"Alright then! Let's get going." Abraham said, giving a heroic smile.


	28. Chapter 27- Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other group comes back, this time to a death of their own. Alex has a moment with Father Gabriel.

"Walkers." I call out in a whisper, turning my head to speak to everyone besides me. We walk together, approaching the parking lot of the hospital, killing the few walkers in a quick manner. Making our way towards the place quietly, a door suddenly opens which bangs on the wall, only to reveal Rick who's face was distraught as his eyebrows pulled together and his eyes staring at the ground. In seconds, he notices us, stopping a few feet away. Sasha comes walking out behind him with Ryan standing next to her. I give them a questioning look, but they nod their heads, making me think about everyone who had gone into the hospital together.

With more appearances, Tyreese walks out holding on to Carol, her body hunched forward as she's too weak to even stand. I begin walking towards them, to get a better view to try and see where everyone else was. Daryl was walking out slowly, his arms holding a petite blonde, her legs dangling over his arms. It took me just seconds to realize who it was. Beth. A heart shattering cry came from behind me.

Turning my head, Maggie is kneeling on the ground. Her voice becoming hoarse as she cries, looking at her lifeless sister in Daryl's arms. My eyes began to tear up as I watch Glenn drip to his knees to hold Maggie in his arms, trying to comfort her.

"No!" Maggie yelled through her cries.

I turned around, my eyes instantly finding Daryl with Beth. His face was emotionless, his body still. I could still sense the sadness that ran throughout him. His face was red and wet, still crying as he began to walk towards Maggie. Her voice still shaking along with her body, she stays on the ground, calling out for Beth.

It's been days after Beth's death. Maggie didn't say a word, no one tried to speak to her, but we were looking out for her. Rick took a small group to Noah's old home town community to see if his family were still alive, as well as any other valuable things, while the rest of us stood back somewhere in the woods, waiting.

It had gotten colder by the day, which meant fall was definitely almost over and winter was coming. I was hoping to find a jacket for the time being, but I'm sure everyone else was hoping that too, since we all had only long sleeves and sweaters on.

The group had nothing to say to each other, so It just stood quiet most of the time. Of course, between us all, there was no such thing as awkward silence. But it was a silence that had started to become uncomfortable to me. It was making me think about how cold I was, how thirsty I was and just how exhausted I was. We all felt that way.

In the woods, we all sat around resting as we waited for Rick and the group go get back to us. Daryl made it easy and left marks for them to remember where we were. I sit besides Maggie, keeping her company since Glenn had accompanied Rick. I noticed that Daryl wasn't sitting with any of us and that he had been a couple of trees away, alone and sitting against one.

"I'll be right back, okay?" I rub Maggie's arm, but she didn't flinch or even care to respond. I didn't blame her.

"Are you okay?" I walk up to Daryl and kneel down in front of him. "You look like you could use some sleep."

He ignored me and continued to look down at his hands that were playing with some rock he must've picked up beside him. "Hey, I'm right here for you. If you need to sleep, you know I got you." I put my hand on his knees and wait for an answer, or even just a look. 

"I don't... I just- just leave me alone." Daryl responds with a mumble, while throwing aside whatever he was playing with. I didn't know how to react, because he hasn't been like that since before we sort of made up back at the prison. But I guess that's what happens to yourself when you lose people or something important to you...I'm just still wondering why I'm not like that about Vanessa, or why I haven't even thought about her the day after.

I got up, and began walking towards Maggie to see if she'd try to talk to me. "Maggie?" She kept her head down and her face straight. Sasha walked up to me as I started to try and approach back to my original spot where Daryl and I were sitting in silence.

Sasha stared behind me, in shock, blocking me from walking any sooner. "Oh my god. No." She began to cry. I turned around and saw Rick, Michonne, Glenn and Noah, carrying a big body. I realized quickly that it was Tyreese.

"Sasha." I turned around and saw her crying and frozen. She fell to the ground, as I reached over to her to hold her. A couple of seconds later, she wasted no time and ran over to Tyreese, who was currently wrapped in a faded and dirty white sheet.

This is the second person the group has lost in such a small amount of time. Beth and now Tyreese.

"You knew him well?" I turned my head and saw Ryan standing next to me. I didn't care at this moment that he was talking to me, but we has to interact sometime. He does only really know me, now.

"Not as much, but he was apart of this family." I said, looking over at the furious Rick, stern faced Michonne, distressed Glenn, and blank faced Noah. Daryl walked over and stared at Tyreese's body in the blanket, and at Sasha.

"What do they- we, do now? Now that you guys lost someone else?" Ryan asked.

"We burry them." I said, walking away to find a shovel in one of our bags. I found the tool and started to shovel, way over near some bushes and trees, in the shade. 

An hour or so later, I felt someone tap my shoulder, and saw Rick holding his hand out. I grabbed onto his hand and he lifted me up out of the not so deep hole and took the shovel out of my hands.

"I'll finish it." He said, then getting to work. I walked over to a tree and leaned back, studying everyone's faces. I couldn't help but wonder why I wasn't as mad, sad or even isolated like Maggie, Daryl and now Sasha.

"We know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God. A house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens..."Gabriel read calmly, as we all lined up to put dirt over his covered body. I was next, and I wasn't prepared. I didn't do it for Vanessa myself- instead the rest of the group did it for me back at the church.

I felt a hand grab on to mine, as I finished pushing the dirt into the hole. I looked at the hand, to see Daryl's, holding onto mine gently. "I got you too." Daryl quietly said with his deep raspy voice, then letting go and walking away. 

"I know I haven't know all of you for that long," Father Gabriel broke the silence, as we stood around resting. "But, your people who died- it's because God," his eyes shifted to the sky. "God put them in a better place. Away from this world."

"God will help us. God will help us all-"

"God? You think God will help?" I yelled out at Gabriel, making everyone's head turn to me. "You're kidding, right? God can't help us now! What makes you think it's even real?!" I snapped, clearly not thinking straight.

"Alex..."

"No." I interrupted Glenn, turning back to Gabriel with a blur in my eyes from the tears. "You. You think that he'll save us? If God was real, Gabriel, this world would've never gone to shit!" I yelled even louder, not caring that a walker could come out at any time. "Leave me out of all of it. The speeches, the.. the everything. Leave me out of it." I said, walking away from the group and towards the road we were previously walking on. I could feel everyone's stare burning into the back of me while I walked. I quickly saw Daryl and Ryan's faces, giving me looks that I couldn't comprehend at the moment.

-


	29. Chapter 28- The Road Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is back on the road, but of course something goes wrong as Alex doesn't feel good.

After that little freak out near the group at Gabriel, I walked away from the group, my mind started to go fuzzy.

I couldn't live in this world anymore. I couldn't deal with all the bull shit Gabriel would always talk about.

I also couldn't take Daryl's silence, even though he was in pain. It was all too much for me... The walkers, the always being quiet. I also couldn't take it anymore- me confining in my fear- in everyone's fear.

I stopped walking, not too far from the group yet not too close either. I needed a break. I carefully slid down a tree, sitting on the dirt and roots of the tree around me. I closed my eyes, giving myself a breather, making sure my claustrophobia didn't kick in from me being confined in my thoughts, causing me not to breath. My mind and thoughts started to take me back- giving me mini flashbacks- from left and right- about my life before this apocalypse.

Things from my relationship with Ryan popped up, friendship memories with Vanessa, family moments from before I found my parents and sister dead in their house. It made me dizzy just thinking about how much and how quickly I've lost...

The more we walked on the same road, which led us nowhere so far, Daryl had became more and more distant from the group. Carol had tried to talk to him, when I told her he wouldn't talk to me. He would always find ways to get away from the group- like look for water, go hunting and even look for shelter. Either, he could be actually doing those things, or just wants to be alone.

I walked a little in front of the rest of the group, not paying attention to the quiet whispers of conversations some of them had. I rolled my eyes at the ground, thinking about not being friends with Ryan, Daryl ignoring me and this endless walk to nowhere.

My head started to get dizzy and the way I walked had changed from fast, to slow. I blinked a couple of times to try and continue walking and to make sure it was just all in my head. I shook my head, thinking that it would make me better, but that failed.

My bag fell out of my hands followed by my knife. I barely heard everyone yelling out my name, while hearing their boots hitting the concrete as they ran towards me.

"Alex!"

"Lex!" Another called out. I felt someone holding my head in their lap. I didn't even realized I had fallen to the ground. Blurry visions of people surround me was all I saw, and their voices calling my name.

"You're going to be okay." I heard one voice say quietly. Someone grabbed my hand. I tried to see who it was, but I just couldn't make it out. I squeezed the person's hand as I blinked harder. The dizziness made me feel so sick, like I was just going to pass out.

And I did.

Glenn's *POV*

"Is she going to be okay?" Maggie approached me, with the passed out Alex in my arms with a wet towel on her head.

"Think so. She's dehydrated, that's all."

"We need to find more water."

"I'll go." Daryl said from the back, walking towards me and Alex, near a tree on the side of the road.

"I'll go with you." Carol offered. "You could use company- some back up."

"I'll be fine." Daryl said.

"Hopefully she wakes up soon." Ryan had said, looking at Daryl walking away, then at Lex.

"We're in no rush." Maggie said at the same time I had said, "What do you care?"

"Because... She's- I'm always going to care for her. I love her, you know." He answered.

"Really? You do?" I say, furrowing my eyebrows. "If you did, her best friend wouldn't be dead right now! If you did, she wouldn't be mad at you before this world had turned into this, and your marriage-"

"Glenn!" Maggie yelled. "Stop. Please! She wouldn't want this."

"No, he needs to hear it. She won't love you the same, not anymore. Not when Daryl is protecting her, not when he's here." I said. "Not when he's here..."

"Daryl?" Ryan laughed.

"Yeah. Daryl."

"He doesn't own her." Ryan said.

"Yeah, I know. But neither do you."


	30. Chapter 29- Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Daryl have a moment, the group finds a place to hold up in and Maggie and Sasha bring someone to them.

My eyes opened slowly, as I regained my consciousness, looking up at the light blue sky. I slowly raised up off of whoever I was laying on. I looked behind me and saw that it was Glenn. "You're up." Glenn smiled, with hope in his eyes. I smiled back, then began to stand up. I lost my balance, causing me to shift back, and almost fall.

"Alex- whoa, take it easy." Glenn spoke, holding onto my waist and shoulders, making sure I didn't fall.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Couple of hours." answered, with no emotion.

"Where is uh-"

"Daryl?" Glenn asked. "He's been out, hunting, looking for water."

"Alone?" I asked, rubbing my head.

"Yeah- at first. Then Carol went out to look for him. Came back without him." Glenn answered. I looked around the road and the sides of the road, seeing the group scattered out, sitting down and talking- some keeping quiet.

"So all we found was booze?" Tara asked, looking at Abraham then at Glenn.

"Yeah." Rosita said.

"It's not gonna help." Tara said.

"He knows that." Rosita spoke, putting her head down.

"You sure?" I said, furrowing my eyebrows and leaning on Glenn.

"You okay?" Glenn whispered.

"Not really."

"Cmon, let's sit." Glenn said, guiding me down to the concrete floor.

"It's gonna make it worse," Tara and Rosita continued.

"Yeah... It is."

"He's a grown man- I truly do not know if things can get worse." Eugene spoke up.

"They can." Rosita said, then the group went silent.

Our heads snapped quickly towards the sounds of growls and heavy, quick pace breaths. Black dogs stood in a line, looking at us, hungrily. I was still dizzy, making me grab onto Glenn's arm tightly, feeling a shot of pain in my head. I squeezed Glenn's shoulders again, using more of my strength, causing him to wince.

My eyes bulged out, as my heart started racing. My breathing picked up, as the dogs kept staring all of us down, then barking a couple of times. We then heard leaves move and twigs snapped.

It was Daryl, making his way slowly and steady, out of the woods. His eyes made his way from the dogs in front staring us down, then met my eyes. I stared at him desperately, thinking if he was going to save us...

The sounds of five quick gun shots made me jump, surprising me. All of our heads turned behind and to the side of us, seeing Sasha with a determined look, putting her big long black gun slowly down. Moments later, we all cooked up the dogs with a fire we had made and began to eat them. We were all a little hesitant at first, but we ate them fast.

I don't even remember the last time I ate... 

We kept on walking after we finished eating. We needed to find shelter. A place to sleep and get some rest. The sky had turned a darker blue, and grey, indicating that a storm was coming soon. The longer we walked, the more tired we were, and in desperate need of water. I walked next Glenn, who was with Maggie, but she walked a little faster. Daryl, Abraham and Sasha were the only people behind me and the get of the group walking.

"Daryl-" Glenn gestured the water bottle to him, causing Daryl to ignore him.

"Nah- I'm alright."

"Daryl-"

"Don't." Daryl said.

"We can make it together." Glenn started. "But we can only make it together." Daryl stopped walking, as Glenn caught up with Maggie.

"He's right, Daryl..." I said, as Daryl looked at me and then I continued to walk.

Daryl had strayed away from the group, and back into the woods again, and still refusing mine or Carol's help.

I walked along the side of the road, close to the woods as I stared out hoping for a glimpse of Daryl. Before I could take another step, I bumped into Glenn's back and apologized. The group had formed a circle, and I didn't understand why, until I moved from behind Glenn and stood besides Rick.

There was gallons of water and a few small water bottles in the road, a note saying for a friend.

Rick and I made eye contact and he glanced over to the woods, signaling me to go get Daryl.

I carefully followed where he had been walking just moments before. He was no where in sight until I had stopped just a few feet away from looking at a wooden barn house that was hiding behind some trees. Before I waked further, I saw his crossbow against the tree, where he had happened to sit against.

As I stood there for minutes, not sure if I should make my presence known.

I heard Daryl's cries, as I approached to where he was. I just stood there and watched him cry. I closed my eyes to make it less painful to hear, but instead it made me feel sad, made me feel like I should go over there and just hug him, but I knew he wanted to be alone. I knew he didn't like showing any emotion, except for his bravery or strength, in front of others or being around others when he showed his sensitive side. But even then.

Moments later, Daryl got up and brushed his pants off from the ground. I took a few steps back, making it look like I was coming to find him. But then he was suddenly looking behind him and at me.

"Were you there the whole time?" He mumbled.

"Uh, no." I lied and brushed the hair out of my eyes as I stared at him. "Rick wanted you to see something," I told the truth. "It's important." I touched my gun on the side of my waist in the holster, and gripped it out, walking towards the woods to head back to the group, with Daryl following behind.

"S'going on?" Daryl mumbled, as everyone looked at me and Daryl as we approached the group. Rick passed a piece of paper to me, so I could give it to Daryl.

"Someone's watching us... It could be a threat.." I said.

"Or someone just giving us water." Michonne said reasonably.

"Someone just giving us water? In this world? Nah, I don't believe that for a second." I said, looking down at the water bottles around us in the middle, filled with water.

"What else are we gonna do?"

"Not this," Rick responded. "We don't know who left it."

"If that's a trap, we already happen to be in it." Eugene spoke. "But I for one, would like to think it is indeed from a friend."

"What if it isn't? They put something in it?" Carol asked. Eugene reached for a water bottle, getting ready to drink it.

"Eugene!"

"Dude, what are you doing?!"

"Quality assurance." He said.

Abraham walked over to him, throwing the bottle out of his mouth.

"We can't." Rick said.

Thunder started to rumble, causing rain to fall heavily down upon us and everywhere else.

"This can't be good... Right?" I said, looking at everyone who started to smile, or look up at the sky, except for Sasha and Maggie, who kept their head down, masking their sadness within the rain. I squinted my eyes and looked up at the sky. My eyes made my way towards Ryan, who was standing across from me, looking straight at me. I let out a smile and so did he, as we exchanged a friendly manor for the first time in forever.

My eyes noticed Daryl's as he was staring at me too, blankly and I could see the sadness and emotion in his eyes. Behind the rain, I could notice his tears falling down his cheeks.

"Everybody!" Rick snapped me out my thoughts, as he yelled over the rain. "Get the bags, anything you can find. Come on."

Judith started crying, the thunder became more loud and scarier. We all looked at the clouds and the Lightning ahead of us. "Let's keep moving!" Rick said.

"There's a barn!" Daryl yelled.

"Where?" Rick yelled back.

"Not too far from here!" I yelled to Rick. 

We all settled into the barn, after scoping the place out and making sure it was okay and secure to stay in. Everyone was scattered around the barn, resting, talking or either sleeping.

Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Carol, Daryl and I sat around the burning fire that Daryl had created for us, to keep us warm. "I'll try." Glenn spoke.

"Nah. It's too wet." Daryl responded, trying to make the fire bigger.

"I used to feel sorry for the kids that have to grow up now. In this. But I think I got it wrong. Growing up is getting used to the world. This is easier for them."

"This isn't the world. This isn't it." Michonne said, looking at Rick.

"It might be. It might." Glenn sighed, looking over at Maggie and then back at us.

"That's giving up." Michonne argued.

"That's reality." Glenn said.

"Until we see otherwise, this is what we have to live with." Rick said, his deep voice trying to whisper.

"When I was a kid, I asked my grandpa once if he ever killed any Germans in the war - he wouldn't answer." Rick began speaking. "He said that was grown up stuff, so... so I asked if the Germans ever tried to kill him, but he got real quiet. He said he was dead the minute he stepped into enemy territory."

"Every day he woke up, he told himself, 'Rest in peace. Now get up and go to war.' And then after a few years of pretending he was dead, he made it out alive. And that's the trick of it, I think. We do what we need do and then we get to live. But no matter what we find in DC, I know we'll be okay. Because this is how we survive. We tell ourselves... that we are the walking dead." Rick finished.

"We ain't them." Daryl said, looking down at the fire.

"We're not them. Hey. We're not." Rick said, trying to get his attention.

"We ain't them." Daryl repeated.

"He's right." I signed, agree with Glenn and Rick. "What he said said before." I motioned to Rick. "You know, we all have to stand together... We are family. No matter how many people we lose- we can't become weak. We can't stay silent from one another, or turn our backs. We need to stand together, because we are one." I said, feeling Daryl's stare as he walked away.

"You're right." Rick said.

"Anyways," I sighed. "I'm gonna go rest." I get up and put my hand on Ricky's shoulder, smiling at him slightly, then walking away.

I made my way over to where Daryl was currently sitting down, staring down at the barn's floor, resting his head on his knees.

"Hi." I said, sitting next to him. He was silent. He picked his head up, then looked at me then at his hands. "You okay? You look upset- tired."

"I'm fine." He mumbled, in his low voice. I grabbed his left hand, and held it, looking at the burn.

"Its nothin'." He said aggressively, snatching his hand away from mine. I grabbed his hand again. He tensed up, but then relaxed when I started to run the wound with my thumb.

"Doesn't look like nothing..." I teased, trying to lighten the mood. "I don't know what you did, or how you did it, but I heard you cry earlier, when you were alone..." I whispered, leaning in more closely to him.

"That was nothing." He said.

"Yeah? You were crying your heart out, Daryl..."

"Yeah." He said.

"Why?"

"It's nothing." He said again.

"Nothing? Really? You can't cry for nothing..."

I heard Daryl sigh. "I just- we- just lost so many people, so many things. Today was just that day where I realized everything is real. Everything is real, and everyone is dead- or everyone will die-"

"Stop, Daryl cmon-"

"I lost my brother- way before I found you and took you to the prison." Daryl began speaking.

"Daryl- you don't have to tell-"

"Name was Merle, asshole, but he was my brother... Found him kneeling on the ground some were not too far from the prison," he stopped, taking a deep breath in, then out. "He was kneeling down, eating the insides of a person. He turned..."

"Daryl- I'm sorry..."

"Yeah. Me too." He said. "I guess that and losing people and not finding anywhere to live made me burn myself with that cigarette..." He silently said.

"You... You burned yourself? Why?" I asked, eager to hear what he did, and getting mad.

"Lex...I'm used to it- the pain. Just needed to feel something." He admitted. "Guess I feel ashamed, guilty-"

"Don't say that- you shouldn't feel that way." I said, grabbing onto his hand more. "Ever."

"You should uh-" he coughed. "Get some sleep." He said, squeezing my hand. I hooked my arm into his, giving him a sincere hug.

"You should too." I said quietly, then leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek, right near his lips. I sighed, getting ready to go to the other side of the barn.

"Lex-" I stopped walking and turned around. "Thanks- for uh, just now. Ya know?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "No problem." 

Everyone was up, sitting around, doing nothing. Carl was looking at some wood, Abraham was cleaning his weapon and Rick and Judith were on the grown resting and playing.

"Hey! Everyone..." Maggie's voice got closer, as she opened the barn doors.

"Rick..." I said.

"This is Aaron." Maggie introduced someone to of us, as everyone got up fast, pointing their weapon at the guy standing between Maggie and Sasha... 

Now I wonder what's going to happen now...


	31. Chapter 30- Long pt1&2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New people, new places...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter of CONFIDE IN FEAR! the sequel will be posted soon, it is also on my wattpad A-TWDSPN-Love

The barn doors shoot open as Maggie and Sasha step inside. I stand up, gun in hand and raised at the man as I approach them.

At the corner of my eye, Rick, Daryl and everyone was quick to readjust themselves and draw their weapons.

"We met him outside. He's by himself." Maggie explained. "We took his weapon, and we took his gear." Daryl searched him, as I kept a cold stare onto the guy, Aaron.

"Hi." Aaron spoke. Judith started to cry in Rick's arms. "It's nice to meet you." He said, approaching Rick. I quickly stood in front of Rick and pointed my gun at Aaron, as Daryl kept his guard on Aaron from behind.

"You said he had a weapon?" Rick asked, then Maggie walked over to Rick with a gun. "There something you need?"

"He has a camp nearby." Sasha said, as Bob approached her side. "He wants us to audition for membership."

"I wish there was another word. Audition makes it seem like we're some kind of dance troupe." Aaron laughed nervously. "That's only on Friday nights." He tried to lighten up the mood, which wasn't working too well, at all, since everyone stood quiet with their weapons pointed and their looks cold.

"Um, and it's not a camp. Its a community." He shook his head. "I uh, I think you all would make valuable additions. But it's not my call. My job is to convince you all to follow me back home." It stood quiet. I looked at Daryl across the barn and behind Aaron, as I furrowed my eyebrows. I turned to my side and saw Ryan had just joined my side, staring deeply and harshly at Aaron.

"I know... If I were you I wouldn't go either."

"You wanna tell us how you found us?" I asked, nodding around the barn.

"... Not until I knew exactly what I was getting into." He answered, ignoring my question. "Sasha, can you hand Rick my pack." Sasha made her way towards Rick with his backpack he had on. "From pocket, there's an envelope."

"There's no way I could convince you to come with me-"

"Damn right." I mumbled, interrupting Aaron.

"...just by talking about our community. That's why I uh, I brought those. Now, I apologize in advance for the picture quality, we found an old camera store last-"

"Nobody gives a shit." Daryl interrupted as he talked. I looked across and saw Daryl staring into Aaron, then at me as I raised my eyebrows at him and smirked. Aaron looked nervous and taken back as he turned his head to look at Daryl who interrupted him.

"You're absolutely one hundred percent right." He laughed, again more nervously. "That's the first picture I wanted to show you." I looked over Rick's shoulder and saw a picture of a wall of some type and some long things holding it up.

"Probably because nothing I say about the community will mater unless you know you'll be safe. If you join us, you will be. Each panel in that wall is a fifteen foot high, twelve foot wide slab of solid steel." Aaron spoke. "Framed by a cold-rolled steel beams and square tubing. Nothing alive or dead gets through without our say-so."

Rick stood back up, and I stared at him. I couldn't describe Rick's emotional state or what he could be thinking, as he stared at Aaron.

"Like I said, security is obviously important." He assured. "In fact, there's only one resource more critical to our community's survival. The people."

"I don't know Rick." I whispered, standing next to him.

"Together we're strong. You can make us even stronger. The next picture you'll see inside the gates." Rick began to walk towards to Aaron from across the barn. "Our community was first constructed-"

"Rick!" Maggie yelled out, as Rick knocked out Aaron into the face, making him fall to the ground. Daryl check on him, making sure he was out, and not still conscious.   
-  
"We got to secure him. Dump his pack. See what this guy really is." Rick began speaking.

"Rick." Michonne said.

"Everybody else we need eyes in every direction. They're coming for us." Rick said around the barn to everyone. "We might not know how or when, but they are."

"Me and Sasha, we didn't see him. If he had wanted to hurt us, he could've." Rick ignored Maggie, as he proceeded to walk around and talk to everyone. I stood by the doors, looking out every second or so.

"Anybody's see anything?"

"Just a lot of places to hide." Glenn spoke, as he stood next to me.

"Keep looking!" Rick said.

My eyes scanned around, looking at trees, grass and more trees around the barn. I turned away and sighed, resting my head on the barns doors. "We go through so much shit." I sighed.

"We'll be okay." Glenn assured me, looking at me, then back outside.

"We never take a break anymore. It's always walking, hunting, hiding and killing-"

"That's one hell of a right cross, Rick." I turned my head and saw that Aaron had awoke, attempting to make a joke. I quickly scurried over to where he was and stood beside him, looking at Rick.

"Sit him up."

"I think it's better if-"

"It's okay." Aaron groaned.

"He's fine. Sit him up." Rick said.

"You're being cautious, I completely understand-"

"How many of your people are out there?" Rick asked. The questions, probably. I thought, thinking back to the three questions Daryl and Michonne had asked me when they met me.

"You have a flare gun-"

"You have it to signal your people, don't you?" I asked, interrupting Rick.

"How many are there?" Rick asked.

"Does it matter?" Aaron sighed.

"Hell yeah, it does." I said, furrowing my brows.

"Yes, yes it does." Rick said.

"I mean, of course. It matters how many people are actually out there. But does it matter if I actually tell you how many are out there? Because I'm pretty sure no matter what number I say- eight. Thirty two, four hundred and forty four."

"Rick..." Everyone began to stare around the room at each other and at Rick. I began to worry a little bit.

"No matter what I say, you're not going to trust me."

"Well it's hard to trust anyone who smiles after getting punched in the face." Rick said.

"How about a guy who leaves bottles of water for all of you on the road, huh?"

"Don't get smart. Not with us." I said. Rick looked at me, then back at Aaron.

"How long you people been following us?" Daryl asked, walking over to me, and Aaron.

"Long enough to see that you practically ignore a pack of roamers on your trail. Long enough to see that despite a lack of food and water you never turned on each other. You're survivors," Aaron spoke, looking at all of us. "And you're people. Like I said, and I hope you won't punch me for saying this again, that is the most important resource in the world."

It stood quiet. Looks were given all around the room. It's like people were talking to each other from their minds. I looked at Daryl, who was looking at Aaron. I looked at Glenn, who was looking at Maggie, who was looking at Aaron. Rick broke the silence, with the sound of his boots, by walking a few steps towards Aaron.

"How many others are out there?" Rick said, more threatening.

"One." Aaron said. "I knew you wouldn't believe me, if it's not words, if it's not pictures what would it take to convince you that this is for real?"

"Uh- what- what if I drove you to the community? All of you. We leave now, we'll get there by lunch."

"I'm not sure how all of us sixteen are going to fit in a car you and your one friend drove down here in..." Rick said.

"We drove separately. There's enough room for all of us..."

"And you parked couple of miles near here?" Carol asked.

"East on ridge road. Just after you but route sixteen. We wanted to get them closer, but then a store came, knocked a tree down in front of the road. Couldn't clear it."

"Rick, if I wanted to ambush you, I would've done it here. You know, light the barn on fire while all of you's slept. You can trust me."

"I'll check out the cars." Michonne volunteered.

"There aren't any cars, Michonne." Rick said.

"There's only one way to find out."

"We don't need to find out."

"We do." Michonne argued.

"We don't know if we can trust him! We don't know if he's telling the truth!" I yelled at Michonne.

"We don't know, if we don't take a risk."

"A risk?" I squinted my eyes at her as my eyebrows went down, and looked at her. "What happens if we take that risk huh? What happens if we do and we get our selves killed? It would be on you-"

"Alex! Let's calm down." Glenn said. "Let's just do it. Everything we do everyday is a risk- what makes this different? If we just- if we just stick to what Rick was saying, we'll be fine."

"Okay- but I'm going with you."

"Actually, Alex..." Daryl walked towards me.

"No," I laughed. "No I'm going. You guys need me."

"I need you." Rick said, carrying Judith. "You need to be with me and Judith, just in case Aaron does anything or tries anything." I stood silent, looking back and forth between the unconscious Aaron and Rick with Judith in his arms. "You're a tough person. I need you here to help out with Judith. It can't just be me." Rick finished speaking.

"Then I'll go too. With Michonne." Glenn said.

"Okay." Rick said. "Abraham?"

"Yeah. I'll walk with them." He said, grabbing his big gun, and walking towards Glenn.

"Rosita?"

"Okay." She said.

"If there's trouble, you got enough fire power?"

"Yeah. Got what we got." Glenn spoke.

"If you're all not back in sixty minutes, we'll come. The walkies are out of juice.

"Daryl," I softly called out, as he picked up a bag. He dropped them, and walked over to me.

"Yeah?" He said. I went a hugged him tightly. He hesitated at first, but then slowly went and hugged me back.

"I know you're tough and can handle yourself but, be safe. All of you." I whispered in his ear.

"Yeah, we will." We let go, and stared at each other for a couple of seconds, standing close to each other.

"See you." I said, giving a small smile.

"See ya." Daryl said, as him and the groups went off.

-

Everyone in separate groups went off, as Rick and I stood with Judith, watching Aaron. I sat in the back of the barn with Judith in my lap, and cradled her in my arms. It's been about almost a half our with the groups being out of the barn.

"You think I'm trying to poison your baby daughter?!" Aaron yelled out. I grabbed Judith up, and began walking towards Rick and Aaron, with her in my arms.

"What is going on?!"

"Grab that jar of apple sauce from the table. From his bag, supposedly from the community. Wants Judith to eat it." Rick said, staring into Aaron's eyes.

"And you want me to feed it to her?" I said, raising my brows and my eyes opening wide.

"You got to try it first." Rick said to Aaron.

"No, I don't like apple sauce. I don't really like apples-"

"You say you're not trying to poison her, yet you won't try it to see if you're lying or not?" I questioned.

"Fine fine- okay." Aaron said, after a couple of seconds of silence. Rick got the apple sauce and spoon, opened it and took a big spoonful up to Aaron's mouth. Aaron tasted it, making a weird face. Guess he doesn't like apple sauce I thought, sighing.

"It's good. Here." Rick handed it over to me, as I went to go feed Judith. 

PART TWO  
Alex's *POV*

The groups had arrived back to the barn safely. We all agreed that we should take the chance and go to this community Aaron had tried hardly on convincing us. Michonne and Aaraon were chatting beside each other while I sat near the far window, not caring what he was saying. Glenn and was driving and Rick was sitting shot gun, while the RV was behind us. 

"Why don't you have any pictures of your people?" Michonne asked, making me now interested in what Aaron had to say.

"Oh, I told a picture of the whole group, but I didn't get the exposure right. When I tried to develop it later, it just-"

"Did you ask him the questions?" Michonne asked Rick.

"No." Rick responded.

"How many walkers have you killed?" She asked.

"I'm sorry what?" Aaron answered confused.

"How many?"

"I- I don't know... A lot." He answered

"How many people?"

"Two."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because they tried to kill me." Aaron answered.

"You were listening to us?" Glenn asked, Rick holding up a little satellite.

"I already said I was watching you. Yes I was listening." Aaron answered truthfully.

"It means his people could have one too!" Rick said. "They could've heard out plan. This isn't safe-"

"Glenn! Watch out!"

"Shit!" Glenn tried slowing down the car once we all saw a bunch of walkers in our way. The walker guts and blood and bones went all over the car as we drove fast.

"Glenn!"

"They would've hit us. Now they can get out!" Glenn yelled, talking about the RV.

"Holy shit!" I yelled, holding on to the car door. The car swerved as Glenn stopped driving. We all started breathing heavy and tried to regain our breaths. Rick stepped out the car, and we all followed.

"I don't see them!" Rick said.

"They probably saw what happened! Maybe the turned around?" I suggested.

"No! They're gone. They got away." Glenn said, standing on top of the car.

"Alright, we'll circle back and find them. Let's go." Rick said, as we all got into the car.

"Jefferson avenue!"

"Jefferson avenue!" Glenn repeated after Rick.

"We gotta get outta hear!" Aaron called out.

"No shit!" I yelled. I hear the engine sputter as Glenn tried to restart the engine up. "Oh this is great! Great timing!" I sighed.

"Who- who did that?!" Rick yelled. I looked ahead and saw a red light in the sky, indicating it was a flare gun that just got fired.

"I need to leave! This is over!" Aaron said. "Let me out! This is over!"

"Hey!" I yelled at Aaron as soon as he got out the car.

"They're coming for us!" Aaron yelled. "We need to leave now!"

"Get back here!" Rick yelled at Aaron for running into the forrest, trying to getaway from the walkers that were heading our way. We all split up from the car, accidentally. Aaron ran, Glenn and Rick went after, I went after for Glenn, and Michonne went after all of us. I made my way deep into the woods, holding my gun out and my knife next to it.

"Glenn?! Where are you!" I yelled out, not caring if the walkers around us could hear me.

"Glenn?!" I waked faster and away from Rick. I couldn't leave Glenn. "Cmon Glenn, where are you.." I whispered to myself. I saw some leaves move in a couple of feet from the side of me. I slowly raised my gun and walked slowly towards it. My heart was pounding by the second, as I worried for Glenn and I's safety from walkers. Out of nowhere, I felt hands, a bunch of hands grabbing me. I knew it was walkers.

"Get the hell off me!" I turned around and saw about four of them getting closer to me as I tried to get away. The walkers kept growling and all I could do is try and keep them off me by running backwards. I tripped over my feet and slammed into something. I fell to the ground and saw that I hand slammed into Glenn, then a walker fell onto me and onto us, making me scream like I've never had screamed before.

"My god!" I yelled, grabbing on to Glenn's arm as we panicked together.

"Where's your gun?!" Glenn yelled.

"I dropped it somewhere, I-"

Gunshots went off, as it interrupted my sentence. I flinched as some dead walkers fell onto me, as well as Glenn. I looked up to see Aaron, holding a gun. I felt Glenn stand up, as I stood sitting on the grass, staring at Aaron. I felt Glenn grab my shoulder, helping me up.

"Thank you."   
-  
"They better be here." I whispered, walking with Rick, Aaron and Glenn, to a ally where the rest of the group were supposedly waiting for us.

"I'll give the signal." Rick said, then whistling. A whistle was mad back, meaning that the group was safe and there. We made our way towards the doors, where someone and opened it for us. Aaron went running in, and so did Rick, following him to see what he was going to do. As soon as I laid eyes on Daryl I ran up to him and hugged him.

"Daryl." I whispered, closing my eyes, hugging him.

"Hey, you just saw me not that long ago." He mumbled, then letting go to look at me.

"I know, I know." I sighed, then leaning up against a wall. "I just missed you, I guess." I chuckled.

"You're okay...?" Daryl asked and stated.

"Yeah- no. Yeah I'm fine." I smiled. 

When morning came, the car and the RV pulled up to a gated area, it was huge as it stood ten or so feet tall. The sounds of children laughing and people talking was all that we could hear, as well as the engines of the cars, that were now shutting off. Everyone exited the RV, and the car, and we made our way towards the gates, following Aaron with his injured Boyfriend.

The leaves started to rustle beside me and Daryl, and we all quickly turned, pointing out guns. A possum made its way quickly out the leaves, only to leave it get bit by an arrow from Daryl, then he picked it up. The gates opened, to reveal Aaron again, and some guy with ugly curly hair.

"Brought dinner." Daryl said, staring at the guy.

"It's okay- come on in guys." Aaron spoke.

"This is it." I sighed, closing my eyes and taking in the noise of people from the inside of the community. "I made it."

"We made it." I felt a shoulder bump into mine. I opened my eyes and turned my head and saw Ryan standing next to me, giving a smile.

"Yeah." I laughed, finally being okay with Ryan's presence. 

We made it.


	32. SEQUEL - confide in hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the sequel of confide in fear is up on WATTPAD only. I'm going to start adding it onto A03, but there are 70 chapters and it'll take some time!

The sequel - CONFIDE IN HOPE is up on my wattpad: A-TWDSPN-Love 

BOOK 2 OF 3:  
The group reaches Alexandria and is torn between decisions they have to make, while still going through sad, tragic losses in the group. Alexandra finds herself finally falling for Daryl, and finding out who she is. 

There are many challenges ahead of them, and they just don't know it. 

Previous book: Confide in Fear 

Season 6-9ish 

A DARYL DIXON FANFICTION  
••••currently updating, writing & even editing••••

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters 1-30  
> CONFIDE IN FEAR  
> DARYL DIXON FANFIC  
> Can be found on my wattpad; A-TWDSPN-Love  
> Rated Explicit for; Violence, Language (no smut, just very litte/fade to black)


End file.
